To an outsider the Mets offseason, where they’ve traded away Cy Young award winner R.A. Dickey and have thus far failed to build an outfield, would appear to be cause for negativity. But that didn’t seem to be the focus for second baseman Daniel Murphy Wednesday, who was volunteering at the Far Rockaway neighborhood of Queens that was affected by Hurricane Sandy.
“David Wright was probably the best third baseman in the big leagues,” said Murphy at the event, according to a report on the Mets website. “Ike Davis played four months of the season and still hit 32 bombs and almost drove in 100. I really like the core we have in the infield.”
Indeed the Mets with Davis, Wright, Murphy, and shortstop Ruben Tejada have one of the better infields in the league. But the team didn’t get any better in the short term with the trade of Dickey and then cutting ties to outfielder, and former All-Star, Jason Bay.
Yet at the same time the Mets are finally a much more fiscally responsible franchise. Replacing the lavish free agent contracts that used to be handed out every offseason, the team is attempting to build from the bottom up.
Acquired from the Dickey trade was highly touted catching prospect Travis d'Arnaud (ranked 11 prospect overall on MLB.com) while their trade of Beltran in 2011, netted them sixth-ranked overall prospect Zack Wheeler.
Both minor leaguers are expected to make their debuts this season. And while manager Terry Collins’s outfield remains a mystery the Mets infield and future looks bright.
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