Oakland Athletics catcher Sean Murphy is one of the names that continues to pop up in rumors leading up to the Aug. 2 MLB trade deadline.
Murphy, 27, has not yet hit his form from the plate. But his ability behind the backstop is valuable. After all, we’re talking about the 2021 American League Gold Glove winner.
With top A’s prospect Shea Langeliers ready to take over in a full-time role once he’s called up, they have no real need for Murphy moving forward. As a team that has already gone into full-scale fire sale mode, it makes sense for Oakland to move off Murphy in a trade. Below, we look at three ideal Sean Murphy trade destinations.
Related: 2022 MLB trade deadline FAQ, preview
New York Mets add Sean Murphy to the mix
Thus far this season, the first-place Mets have not gotten a ton from the catcher spot. Tomás Nido is hitting a mere .210 with a .487 OPS. In limited action, Travis Jankowski sports a .200 average. Meanwhile, James McCann (.183) is currently on the injured list.
Not only would Murphy be a major upgrade calling games for the likes of Max Scherzer, he has a built-in relationship with Chris Bassitt. Murphy would also be an upgrade at the plate despite his unflattering .230 average this season.
- New York Mets trade: Alex Ramirez, Matt Allan, Eric Orze
- Oakland Athletics trade: Sean Murphy
This move gives New York a long-term solution behind the plate while the team is able to avoid trading one of its top-three prospects. It is also dealing out of a position of strength with young pitchers Matt Allan and Eric Orze heading to Oakland.
From the A’s perspective, they acquire a multi-faceted outfield prospect in Ramirez who has displayed some star tendencies in his fast rise through the minors. Oakland also picks up a talented pitcher in Matt Allan who is slated to make a return from Tommy John Surgery this season. As for Orze, he’s struck out 52 batters in 34.2 Triple-A innings this season and could be an immediate addition to the bullpen with future closer ability.
Related: Top MLB free agents of 2023 – Aaron Judge, Nolan Arenado surge as MVP candidates
Minnesota Twins add veteran backstop
Sitting at 48-40 on the season, Minnesota is surprisingly a first-place team after the midway point of the campaign. A lot of that has to do with the performances of veteran pitchers such as Joe Ryan, Chris Archer and Sonny Gray. However, finding an upgrade over Ryan Jeffers should be in the cards here.
Ryan Jeffers stats (2022): .211 average, 7 HR, 25 RBI, .666 OPS
Sean Murphy stats (2022): .230 average, 9 HR, 34 RBI, .697 OPS
This is the type of move a mid-market Twins team should make. That is to say, acquiring someone who is under team control for the foreseeable future (arbitration eligible next three seasons).
- Minnesota Twins trade: Simeon Woods Richardson, Jermaine Palacios, Austin Martin, Cole Sands
- Oakland Athletics trade: Sean Murphy
This would seem to be a high price for the Twins to pay. After all, we’re talking about their No. 2 prospects (Austin Martin) and No. 4 prospect (Simeon Woods Richardson) headlining the package heading back to Oakland.
That’s until we realize how valuable a defensive-minded catcher with some pop and who is under team control can be on the trade market.
In return, Oakland picks up a potential top-of-the-rotation arm in Woods Richardson. He’s pitched darn well in Double-A this season and could get a cup of coffee before the 2022 campaign comes to an end.
A first-round pick of the Blue Jays back in 2020, Martin was acquired in the Jose Berrios deal last summer. He could be seen as part of the A’s outfield core moving forward with Cristian Pache.
Related: St. Louis Cardinals as trade destination for Luis Castillo?
St. Louis Cardinals find Yadier Molina replacement
One of the greatest players in franchise history, Molina is slate to call it quits following the 2022 season — leaving a huge hole behind the backstop in St. Louis. Andrew Knizner doesn’t seem capable of being an everyday catcher in the bigs. Meanwhile, top prospect Ivan Herrera struggled at the plate in the minors last season and has been a disaster in his brief MLB time this year (.111 average).
In making this move, St. Louis can have Murphy split time with Molina behind the plate moving forward this season before taking over in a full-time role in 2023. It can also move off Herrera in a separate trade to add more big-league talent to the mix.
- St. Louis Cardinals trade: Jordan Walker, Connor Thomas
- Oakland Athletics trade: Sean Murphy
In return, Oakland nabs the Cardinals’ No. 1 prospect in Walker. He looks to be a legit star in the making at the hot corner and could be the A’s starting third baseman to open the 2023 season. Acquiring this type of elite and big-league ready talent would be a boon for the rebuilding team.