The free agents at 1B are just plain unappealing. Anybody want to see Adam LaRoche as a Met next year? How about Chad Tracy? Or Nick Johnson? Or Eric Hinske? The only moderately intriguing free agent is Russell Branyan, who was having a good season (.251, 31 HRs, 76 RBIs) before going down with “lower back pain.” Branyan’s 34 years old, though, and coming off a 30+ homer season he'll command a decent contract. I expect him to remain in the AL where he can play 1B and DH.
If Branyan is truly the best free agent option, why not just resign Carlos Delgado for cheap? Branyan's 2009 numbers are on par with Delgado's "bad" 2007 season (.258, 24 HRs, 87 RBIs). I’m not advocating Delgado’s return, for the record. While Delgado was out, David Wright took a clear leadership role on the team. I firmly expect Mr. Wright to be wearing a "C" on his jersey in 2010 and beyond, making him only the 5th man to bear the official moniker in franchise history. (The others were Keith from '87-'89, Gary Carter from '88-'89, Mookie in '89 and John Franco from '01-'04.)
Free agents and Delgado aside, there’s a possibility for us to trade for an elite, slugging 1B. The two in mind are Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez.
There have been rumors that Milwaukee will try to trade Fielder before his walk year in 2011, and he had an MVP-type 2009 (.299, 46 HRs, 141 RBIs). He definitely won't come cheap and The Brewers will be asking for a lot, but if Omar can put a package together, it’s a deal that must be made.
I don’t know much about Fielder’s defense, so I can’t say how he’ll fit in with the new speed/defense plan. Still, it’s impossible to argue against the kind of power he brings to the table. His presence as our clean-up hitter in 2010 would take so much pressure off Wright, and allow him to bat 5th where he’s thrived in the past. Beltran is a much better 3rd hitter, and Crawford would be 2nd behind Reyes.
Adrian Gonzalez is a Gold-Glove 1B with typical power stats (.277, 40 HRs, 99 RBIs). Like Fielder, though, Gonzo will be costly and he's not making a lot of money right now in San Diego. He's like a vacuum at first, and his presence defensively will greatly improve everyone's fielding percentages. His power can't be denied, either, and if he's in a more potent lineup with more guys on base, his RBI total will be much higher, too.
If we can’t get The Prince or Gonzo – and I think it’s realistic to think that we won’t – I think Daniel Murphy should be our starting 1B in 2010. The way Murph handled himself in 2009 is beyond admirable. The kid has thick skin, to say the least. He stuck it out through a very difficult season both for the team and for himself, and he kept his head up the whole time. His performance changed dramatically when he was no longer fumbling around in LF.
Murphy showed lots of promise in the field at 1B. And although he doesn’t put up typical 1B power numbers, neither did John Olerud. Now I’m not saying that Murphy is going to start wearing a helmet in the field and start batting .390, but Olerud proved that there’s more to playing 1B than hitting HRs.
Another note on Murph ties into a "Mets Fact" from my 2009 New York Mets Desk Calendar. The fact was from September 21, and it stated that Ron Hunt holds the record for most hits by a Mets player in his rookie season (145 in 1963). I did a little research, and Hunt had 533 ABs in 1963, posting a .272 AVG and a .334 OBP. In his first full season, Murph had 508 ABs and finished with 135 hits and a .266 AVG. Again, I'm not comparing Murphy to Olerud or to Ron Hunt, just making an observation that he's a very good complementary player.
The final thought on keeping Murph at 1B in 2010 is that it keeps the door wide open for 2011 when Ike Davis is ready for prime time. Early reports on Davis, especially from his play thus far in the AFL (Arizona Fall League) is that he's definitely going to be a Major League 1B in the near future. This is reason enough for Omar to avoid trading for a big time 1B like Fielder or Gonzo, and instead waiting for Davis to blossom into the player we hope he can become.
Coming up is the continuation of STEP FOUR... C.
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