Murphy, 28 in June, made his big league debut as a long reliever with Boston in 2023. He logged 47 2/3 innings over 20 appearances, good for 4.91 earned runs per nine. His strikeout rate of 23.1%, walk rate of 8%, and groundball rate of 44.7% were all fairly close to league averages. He could not transfer that in 2024, because he had to undergo Tommy John surgery in April of that year.
He was on the injured list until midway through the 2025 season. He threw another 34 2/3 innings in the major leagues this year with an ERA of 3.12. His strikeout rate of 20.3% was slightly lower and his walk rate of 13.5% was a notable jump, although some post-surgery rust may have been at play. His groundball percentage increased to 54.3%.
Boston had a bit of a roster crisis today and had to make some cuts. Both Nathaniel Lowe And Josh Winckowski were designated for assignment today and flipping Murphy also opens up a spot unless they get a 40-man catcher back in the deal.
For the White Sox, they are rebuilding and have more options to see if Murphy finds another gear in 2026 and moves on. He still has an option, which means they can keep him in the majors or minors for all of next season or shuttle him back and forth. He emerged as a starter, so it’s possible they can stretch him again, or they can keep him in a relief role. He has just over two years of service, which means he hasn’t qualified for arbitration yet and could be monitored for four more seasons, maybe even five if he spends a long time on an optional assignment.
There’s more to come.
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