Opposition Research: David Murphy

Ben Dieter’s Take on David Murphy

Last night, the Indians came to terms with free agent outfielder David Murphy. According to Indians beat writer Paul Hoynes, the deal is for two years and $12-million total with a club option for year three. This is decent value for a player who has hit right-handed pitching consistently well throughout his career but struggled mightily in 2013.

May 22, 2013; Arlington, TX, USA; Texas Rangers outfielder David Murphy (7) grounds out in the sixth inning against the Oakland Athletics at Rangers Ballpark. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Emmons-USA TODAY Sports

Other than what they can read on Fangraphs or Baseball Reference, most fans don’t know very much about David Murphy. So, in order to get a better idea of what the Indians and the fans should expect to see from him, I reached out to the editor of Nolan Writin’, Ben Dieter, to get his quick scouting report. Here is what he had to say about the Tribe’s newest outfield acquisition:

“David Murphy had been a very slow starter throughout his career, consistently having a batting average under .220 in April. His career batting average is .275, so he usually has a good second half of the season. Murphy is coming off his worst MLB season (.220/.282/.374), so he is due for a big bounce backyear. Murphy is good coming off the bench, and he is a good fielder, and he can play multiple outfield positions. He can have trouble hitting left-handed pitching. He doesn’t strike out a lot, he doesn’t walk a lot, and he doesn’t hit a lot of home runs, but he is very consistent after April. He is a great teammate and a really good guy, and he will be missed in Texas.”

So there you have it, straight from the mouth, or in this case fingers, of someone who has watched David Murphy play everyday for the better part of seven years. It’s a ringing endorsement for a player who should be a solid contributor in a limited role as an extra outfielder potentially platooning with Ryan Raburn in right. What this says about the future of Drew Stubbs or possibly even Michael Bourn in an already crowded outfield remains to be seen.

As always, let us know what you think in the comments below or hit us up on Twitter @wahoosonfirst.