New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman won’t be one the many GMs lining up to sign former New York Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy.
While not specifically addressing reporters questions on Murphy, Cashman made it clear he’s not interested in an offensive second baseman, saying if he addressed the position it wouldn’t be for offensive purposes alone.
“We have two offensive-profile players already at that position,” Cashman told Ken Davidoff of the New York Post “I think if we did any changing there, it would be seeking more balance on both sides of the ball.”
That’s about as close as you can get to mentioning Murphy, without actually saying his name.
Murphy is one of the top offensive free agents in this year’s class, following a solid season with the Mets where he hit 14 home runs and batted .281. His stock exploded in the playoffs when the 30-year-old hit seven home runs in 58 at-bats, including a six-game home run streak. His defense though is an issue, evident by multiple costly plays in the World Series, which caused his stock to cool down. He received a $15.8 million qualifying offer from the Mets, but will likely test the free agent market to get a long-term deal. It’s may seem crazy, but it’s not outside the realm of possibility a team ponies up $15 million per season over five-plus years for his services.
Cashman’s got a point.
The Yankees projected second baseman to open the season are Dustin Ackley and Rob Refsnyder.
Ackley, 27, was acquired in a three-player trade with the Mariners, and after completely flaming out in Seattle, he was decent offensively in a 23 game sample with the Yankees. He hit four home runs with 11 RBI, and posted a .288 batting average. The former top prospect has reinvented himself as Ben Zobrist-type player, playing all over the field.
Refsnyder, 24, got into 16 games with the Yankees in 2015, and hit two home runs along with a .302 batting average. He’s got some pop and speed and carries an impressive .380 career minor league OBP. He has been reported to have some rumoured attitude issues, but he’s the future at the position for the Yankees. Cashman probably would like to see what he can do over a full season.
I can see why he feels more comfortable with the duo, as they hit on opposite sides of the plate and can platoon for the club. Even if they’re not sure things, going with them is a much smaller risk than handing out top dollars to Murphy.
Cashman says he’s liked to see what’s he’s got in the duo, despite describing them as “placeholders,” to Davidoff.
“If there’s a more balanced out, defense/offensive profile, great. But if not, we feel encouraged by what we saw in September.”
Would Murphy fit on the Yankees? Probably. He’s an upgrade over their two current options. But at that price, even the deep-pocketed Yankees have to pass. When you spend big money on a free agent to upgrade a weakness, you want to address multiple needs. Signing Murphy would just give them a slightly better version of what they already have.
