NEW YORK -- Game 5 hero Daniel Murphy is due to be a free agent this offseason. And New York Mets officials have not tried to hide that Murphy is likely to be elsewhere next season, with prospect Dilson Herrera having been deemed ready to take over at second base in 2016.
Still, general manager Sandy Alderson paid a rare compliment to Murphy on Friday, on the eve of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs.
Murphy delivered a tie-breaking home run against Zack Greinke in the Mets' 3-2 win on Thursday at Dodger Stadium. He also homered twice in the series against Clayton Kershaw. That came on the heels of Murphy producing a career-high 14 homers during the regular season.
Murphy's approach at the plate, which has resulted in a modest on-base percentage, has not always meshed with the organization's philosophy.
"I think Daniel Murphy is a different hitter today than he was two, three months ago," Alderson said. "He's looking to do damage. He's looking sort of middle of the field and pull as opposed to kind of going the other way. More selective at the plate. I think that has a lot to do with Dan applying what [hitting coaches] Kevin Long and Pat Roessler have been advocating.
"So I don't think this is a phase for him. I think that in some ways he's a fundamentally different hitter than he was, as recently as three, four months ago. And the intensity that he has in the playoff situation certainly is evident, as well. He's really focused, and he's always been sound mechanically. But I think his approach is a little bit different, which has made him a more dangerous hitter."
