New York Mets manager Jerry Manuel announced yesterday that going into the 2009 season, borderline rookie Daniel Murphy would be given the starting role in left field. Murphy was primarily an infielder during his time in the minor leagues however, last year when he was called up, he was tried out in left field and found success. Originally, Manuel had decided that Murphy would platoon in left with last year's National League Comeback Player of the Year, veteran outfielder Fernando Tatis. Tatis separated his shoulder on a diving catch attempt last year towards the end of the season, which has fans wondering what he might be able to put up this year.
Now, there is speculation that Tatis will platoon in right field with Ryan Church. Church was a candidate for MVP and was easily the best player for the Mets until he suffered a concussion in late May. Church attempted to make a few comebacks after he was cleared to play, but he had to sit out for an extended period of time due to post-concussion syndrome. When he made it back to the field near the end of the season, Church was a shell of the player he was prior to the concussion.
I like the idea of starting Daniel Murphy although, a player with only 131 at bats cannot be expected to put up the same numbers with a minimum of about 550 at bats. Batting .313 with an on base percentage of .397 is fantastic for a player seeing limited action, but we will have to wait and see if Murphy is able to produce numbers similar to those he had last season. As for the idea of a platoon in right field, it could potentially work. Church had 13 more extra base hits against right handed pitchers than he did left handed and his average was also 18 points higher. Although he didn't have as many at bats against lefties, if Tatis can produce solid offense, he would fit great in a platoon with Church. Neither of the two has exceptionally better defense than the other however, I think Church would be the safer defensive bet.
Right now, Fernando Tatis is a wild card. We really have no idea how he is going to bounce back from last year's injury. Before last season, he had really put up good numbers one other year, and decent numbers in two other times. Although his career numbers aren't too shabby, we still cannot determine what is next for a 34 year old outfielder coming off an injured shoulder. The one advantage that Tatis has over Church is that he bats righty, a trait that is not common of players in the Mets batting order. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have a platoon in right field, but if Church produces the way he had been, it isn't necessary. Besides, if Tatis still shows he can produce offense and Church is doing alright, Tatis would be a fine right handed addition to the meager Mets bench. And, if Tatis were to be the number one reserve outfielder, he would also be able to fill in for Daniel Murphy if he struggles. Well, that's all for today, I'll try to get the writing in on a more consistent basis. The Mets' first spring training game is less than two days away. Thanks for reading.
Reasons to be Pissed Off: The Atlanta Braves recently signed outfielder Garret Anderson to a one year contract. Anderson has been a very consistent player over the span of his 14-year career. Expect Anderson to hit somewhere within 20 points of .300 with at least 15 home runs and 80 RBIs. He was a nice acquisition for Atlanta and hopefully, he won't hit the Metropolitans' pitchers well.
In other news, one of the top candidates for the #5 spot in the Mets rotation, Tim Redding, has been experiencing shoulder pain and likely will not appear in any spring training games until late March. This is a positive sign for prospect Jonathon Niese however, he will have to prove himself worthy of the spot and beat out Livan Hernandez as well as Freddy Garcia.
No comments:
Post a Comment