MLB teams
Adam Rubin, ESPN Staff Writer 9y

Daniel Murphy: 'As of now, I'm a Met'

MLB, New York Mets

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- Second baseman Daniel Murphy, the lone All-Star for the New York Mets in 2014, likely is headed for free agency next offseason.

Murphy indicated Thursday that he was open to in-season extension talks between the club and agents Sam and Seth Levinson, although the second baseman did not want to be personally involved unless things got serious.

However, a team source told ESPNNewYork.com that no in-season extension talks are planned. While the source would not declare with 100 percent certainty that Murphy will be elsewhere next season, the expectation is the Mets will let him walk.

"As of right now, I'm a Met for this year for sure," Murphy said. "I'd love to be here in the future. That, again, is way in the distant future. I've got too much anxiety about today to worry about what happens in November."

The source noted that the Mets are deep in upper-level middle-infield prospects, with Dilson Herrera and Matt Reynolds -- and even Wilmer Flores, if he does not pan out at shortstop -- among the viable successors in 2016 at second base.

Murphy will earn $8 million this season after agreeing to the terms with the club to avoid arbitration. He said a multiyear contract did not come up.

Murphy noted that his agents and Mets chief operating officer Jeff Wilpon have a "really good relationship." The Levinsons also represent Mets captain David Wright.

Murphy said he did not wonder why a multiyear deal has not come up.

"I'm fairly well compensated this year, so it's not like they're not paying me," he said. "I don't really look at it in that sense at all. Some of that stuff, the organization has a direction. Just because I'm not locked up to a multiyear extension doesn't mean I'm not a part of that direction right now. And I am a part of what's happening right now, in 2015, which is exciting -- and I think which is what myself and the organization and everyone else in that locker room is most concerned with."

Asked if he thought he might be pricing himself out of the Mets' reach given the team's conservative $100 million payroll for the New York market, Murphy added with a laugh: "I don't know, man -- $8 million is a lot of money. That's a lot of scratch. I didn't think I'd make that much money ever. So, no, I don't think of it that way.

"My wife and I looked at each other when we signed that [one-year] deal and looked at each other kind of cross-eyed -- 'Can you believe they're going to pay us this much money to play baseball? Woof.' So, no, I don't think I'm pricing myself out of this market."

Murphy, who turns 30 on April 1, hit .289 with nine homers and 57 RBIs and had 13 steals in 596 at-bats last season. He mostly hit second a year ago, although manager Terry Collins recently has floated using him in a lower slot this season as a way to get him more RBI opportunities.

"Defensively, I want to be more consistent, especially on the routine play," Murphy said. "Teuffy [infield coach Tim Teufel] said we did a better job turning the double play last year. I think we did a good job of that. The numbers kind of back that up. And then offensively, it's more consistency. I want to drive the baseball and get on base more, kind of like everybody else in the league does."

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