Tom Murphy, a former Mariners catcher, signs with the SF Giants.
Report: Tom Murphy, a former Mariners catcher, signs with the SF Giants…
AP SAN FRANCISCO — A person with firsthand knowledge of the negotiations claims that free agent and former Seattle Mariners catcher Tom Murphy has reached an agreement with the San Francisco Giants on a two-year, $8 million contract.
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Because Murphy still needs to pass a medical before the agreement is consummated, the person spoke to The Associated Press on Monday under the condition of anonymity.
Less than a week after the Giants’ president of baseball operations, Farhan Zaidi, signed South Korean outfielder Jung Hoo Lee to a six-year, $113 million contract, the team added a seasoned pitcher who might split time with Patrick Bailey after Bailey’s outstanding rookie season on defense. With Murphy joining Triple-A Sacramento, Blake Sabol, who can play the outfield as well, could see increased duty. In 2023, he was a backup.
After spending his first four major league seasons with Colorado, the 32-year-old Murphy has been with Seattle for the last four years. With the Mariners this season, he batted.290 with eight home runs and seventeen RBIs in 47 games.
In the spring of 2019, Murphy spent a brief time with the Giants organization before being dealt, swiftly and insignificantly, to the Mariners. That year, he enjoyed a breakthrough season with 75 games played with Seattle and a career-high 18 home runs.
San Francisco won the NL West in 2021 and set a franchise best with 107 games won, but has missed the playoffs the last two seasons. The Giants made a last offer that Zaidi described as “very comparable if not identical” to the record $700 million, 10-year contract that the Japanese two-way star signed to with the rival Los Angeles Dodgers, but they were unsuccessful in their attempt to sign Ohtani.
