Still to this point nobody truly stands out above the rest at Second Base where the Mets have an open competition. It could be the fact that they don't know what they prefer, whether it be an offensive bat that can't turn a double play or a defensive glove that can't hit the ball out of the infield.
Right now it appears that Luis Castillo might in fact be in last in the competition, as he has not given manager Terry Collins a good first impression. Luis has reportedly been moping around, angry that he has to compete for the position. I guess he was just handed stuff as a kid. What further ticks off Collins is his laziness, going as far as refusing to take part in pre-game ground ball practices in a game he was the Designated Hitter, because as we all know it was the laziness around the clubhouse that tore this team apart the last 3 seasons.
Most believe that Murphy is the leading candidate to be the starting second baseman on Opening Day due to his offensive ability and his upside. However, it's the defensive aspect that worries Terry Collins. "He's shown he has the range to play there," said Collins, "but he hasn't had a chance to turn a double play (in games), and I've got to see him make that pivot with somebody sliding in on him."
Justin Turner has been very productive this pre-season, however he is the only member of the "competing four" who has a minor league option that does not expose him to Waivers.
What is for sure is that the competition will probably only last one-to-two more weeks, leaving time for the second base option to build up chemistry with SS Jose Reyes. That is certainly a necessity in order to utilize the middle-infield to its fullest potential. Most likely the competition will be narrowed down to two by Wednesday or Thursday, and I have a feeling those two will be Justin Turner & Daniel Murphy. Castillo hasn't showed any improvement at the plate. While he has drawn a few walks here and there, he is batting a disappointing 3-14 (.214 AVG). And by the way, not one of those hits was for extra bases.
Some are already to knock Murphy out of the position. He made two errors today. So what, Ike Davis Made 3 last year in ST. They said it was due to poor fields in ST. Murphy had a bad hop on the 1st and lost his footing it the outfield grass at Disney (same happened to Emaus there last week) He will be fine hitting .303 and had a double and single.