Just Mets

Daniel Murphy exited Thursday’s game in the second inning after experiencing tightness in his left quadricep.

Both Daniel Muno and Wilfredo Tovar are en route to Phoenix, and one (or both) could be activated before the Mets play the second game of their four-game series against the Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Neither Muno or Tovar are adequate replacements to account for the loss of both Murphy and David Wright, assuming Murphy is lost for an extended period of time.

Even with Dilson Herrera coming back relatively soon, it was logical to conclude the Mets had to find an infield solution external to the organization to compensate for the loss of Wright. If Murphy is also now out, it puts the Mets in a much more dire position.

Here are three realistic external infield options for the Mets to consider with pros and cons for each…

Todd Frazier.

As good as Frazier was in 2014, he’s been even better this season at the plate. He hits right-handers and left-handers at about the same clip, although he has historically hit for a tad more power against left-handers in his career. In addition, while his numbers at the hitter-friendly Great American Ballpark are better than his road numbers, he has been far from ineffective away from his home ballpark, although he has struggled quite a bit away from Cincinnati in 27 road games this season.

Frazier’s contract is reasonable too. He’s making $4.5 million this year and will make $7.5 million next year, a fantastic bargain for a right-handed power hitter in this day and age.

He’s a third baseman at this point in his career, although he can play first and has some – but not a lot – of big league experience in the corner outfield spots. He’s just 29 and the fact he’s played in the outfield at the big league level could allow for him to shift there when and if Wright returns to the Mets.

Here’s one problem. The Mets already have a logjam of outfielders, meaning there’s no logical solution if Wright returns unless they decide to platoon Curtis Granderson and Michael Cuddyer, or move Granderson to the bench altogether which would be even less likely than a platoon.

Here’s another problem. Yes, the Reds are struggling and could ultimately sell before the July 31 trade deadline. But, the All-Star Game is at Great American Ballpark, and from a marketing and public relations perspective, it might not be in their best interest to trade a homegrown All-Star when the industry’s jewel event is there. It would be logical for them to wait until after July 14 to start selling their assets, and the Mets probably cannot afford to wait at least another six weeks to fix their problem.

Even if the All-Star Game wasn’t in Cincinnati, given his contract, the league’s starvation for right-handed power, the Reds would be foolish to not let a market for Frazier evolve later this summer. He could potentially be one of the most coveted assets on the trade market in late July, which could only help the return they could get for a power hitter under immediate control.

Martin Prado.

Prado has bounced around in the last three years, going from the Braves in 2013 to the Diamondbacks in 2014, then to the Yankees in a mid-season trade last year before being traded in a package that included Nathan Eovaldi to the Marlins. He’s a little older than Frazier, doesn’t have as much power as Frazier and doesn’t have a lot of speed, either. But, he’s a versatile player and a capable 10-15 home run bat with an ability to play second, third and the outfield.

He’s been a quality player off the bench in his career, he knows how to handle pinch-hit duties, can hit in the leadoff spot and be a catalyst and productive at the same time, and he always seems to come up with big hits, as his numbers with runners in scoring position would indicate throughout his career.

The problem with Prado is two-fold. One, he is a Marlin and in the National League East, and it would be difficult for the Mets to trade anything which could come back and haunt them up to 19 times a year for Prado. The other problem is Prado will earn $22 million between 2015 and 2016, after which he will become a free agent. If the Mets were to ask Miami to pick up a portion of what’s owed, that will likely increase the cost in trade, which could unbalance a deal very quickly for a guy like Prado.

Ben Zobrist.

Zobrist remains the most ideal fit the Mets might consider, the Mets reportedly have early interest in Zobrist, and have had interest in Zobrist in the past.

Zobrist isn’t young anymore and has battled injury and a sluggish start to the 2015 season. He can be expected to turn his season around play closer to the 5.2 WAR he’s averaged over the last three seasons. He’s a switch hitter who has a little bit of pop and speed, can play everyday at any number of positions – including shortstop and second base – and gives the Mets a solid and predictable bat and glove to plug in there and lengthen this lineup. At the very least, he probably wouldn’t cost them one of their top shelf prospects right now, would give Oakland salary relief for the rest of the year on the approximate $5 million Zobrist is owed, and could make the Mets better right now assuming he’s healthy and stays healthy.

The problem with Zobrist is he can be a free agent at the end of the year, so they’d have to be careful about who they might want to trade to acquire him. And, as is the case with Frazier, demand for Zobrist should be substantial as well, with the Yankees already expressing interest, the Nationals having already spoken to the A’s about Zobrist and the Cubs already expecting to pursue his services this summer.

It’s worth noting Zobrist cannot be given a qualifying offer if he’s traded this season, either, and while that might ultimately not be an issue for a player of his caliber, it’s something to consider when evaluating his overall value.