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Patrick Murphy

Patrick Murphy Agrees To Deal With NPB’s Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters

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Right-hander Patrick Murphy has agreed to terms with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball, per Robert Murray of FanSided. The deal, which is pending a physical, will be for one year with a 2025 option as well as performance bonuses and escalators.

Murphy, 29 in June, spent 2023 with the Twins on a minor league deal. He began the year in a fairly typical relief role but got stretched out for the final two months of the season. From the start of April to August 1, he tossed 44 2/3 innings over 33 appearances with an earned run average of 4.63. He struck out 25.3% of opponents but gave out walks at a 16.1% clip. He made nine more appearances from there and tacked on another 40 2/3 innings with a 2.66 ERA, 24.7% strikeout rate and 8.8% walk rate.

Prior to this year, he was a third-round pick of the Blue Jays in 2013. He made it to the majors with that club and eventually went to the Nationals via a waiver claim. Between those two teams, he threw 39 2/3 major league innings from 2020 to 2022 with a 4.76 ERA, but he didn’t get to the big leagues in 2023.

Had he stayed in North America for 2024, he likely would have been limited to minor league offers but will instead head to Japan, where he should be in line for a larger salary and an opportunity to prove himself in what’s generally considered to be the strongest league outside of MLB. It’s unclear if the Fighters plan on using Murphy as a starter or reliever but he did both in 2023 and could perhaps provide them with some flexibility. If he fares well overseas, he could parlay that into a return to the majors down the road, a path taken by guys like Miles Mikolas, Chris Martin, Nick Martinez and others.

Twins, Patrick Murphy Agree To Minor League Deal

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The Twins are in agreement with right-hander Patrick Murphy on a minor league contract, reports Jon Heyman of the New York Post (on Twitter). Presumably, the 27-year-old will get a chance to compete for a big league job in Spring Training.

Murphy has suited up at the highest level in each of the past three seasons. Originally a third-round selection of the Blue Jays in 2013, he spent parts of eight years in the Toronto system. Murphy was generally regarded as a solid prospect, but he battled myriad injury concerns in the minors that delayed his push up the ladder. He finally reached the majors during the abbreviated 2020 season, working six innings of relief across four appearances.

Toronto shuttled him on and off the active roster for most of 2021, eventually designating him for assignment in August. He landed with the Nationals via waivers, making 17 appearances with Washington down the stretch. Murphy held his roster spot over the winter and pitched six more times this past April before the Nats took him off the 40-man roster. He went unclaimed this time around, spending the remainder of the year with Triple-A Rochester before electing minor league free agency at season’s end.

Over his three MLB seasons, Murphy has tallied 39 2/3 innings of 4.76 ERA ball. He has a below-average 20.3% strikeout rate and an elevated 10.7% walk percentage. He’s averaged north of 96 MPH on his fastball but hasn’t missed many bats at the big league level. Murphy did punch out a solid 26.1% of opponents with a lofty 50% grounder rate over 63 frames in Triple-A this year, although he still walked just under 12% of batters faced.

While Murphy has some experience as a starter in the minors, he’s worked primarily as a multi-inning reliever for the past three seasons. That’s the role he’s expected to play in Minnesota, where he’ll compete for a spot in Rocco Baldelli’s bullpen. He’s out of minor league option years, so if he does crack the MLB roster at any point, he’ll have to remain in the majors or again be designated for assignment.

Outrights: Murphy, Riddle

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A pair of players recently designated for assignment have cleared waivers and will stick with their organizations:

  • The Nationals announced yesterday that right-hander Patrick Murphy has been assigned outright to Triple-A Rochester. He’ll remain in the organization following last week’s DFA but will no longer occupy a spot on the 40-man roster. The 26-year-old Murphy, claimed off waivers out of the Blue Jays organization in 2021, appeared in six games with the Nats this year but was tagged for six runs (four earned) on eight hits and eight walks with four strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings. He struggled in D.C. last year as well and now carries a 5.55 ERA and 27-to-14 K/BB ratio in 24 1/3 innings of work since that waiver claim. The 2013 third-rounder sits north of 96 mph with his heater and has a solid minor league track record, so the Nats will hope that he can right the ship in Rochester and return to the big leagues at some point.
  • Reds infielder JT Riddle cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Louisville, tweets C. Trent Rosecrans of the Athletic. Riddle has previously been outrighted in his career, giving him the right to refuse a minor league assignment. However, the 30-year-old has elected to report to Louisville, where he started the season with a .258/.333/.516 line in 36 plate appearances. Riddle, selected while the team was dealing with injuries to Jonathan India and Mike Moustakas, appeared in a pair of games with Cincinnati.

Nationals Designate Patrick Murphy For Assignment

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The Nationals have designated right-hander Patrick Murphy for assignment, the team announced. The move makes room on the active roster for Aaron Sanchez, whose contract was selected from Triple-A. Sanchez will start today’s game.

The 26-year-old Murphy was claimed off waivers from the Blue Jays last August, and he’s been a member of the Nats’ bullpen since, though he had yet to really earn a regular role. He has appeared in six games so far this season, tossing 5 2/3 innings and surrendering five earned runs on eight hits with eight walks and just four strikeouts. Needless to say, it’s been a rough go early in the season for the former Blue Jay.

Another former Blue Jay will take his place on the active roster. Sanchez will step into the starting rotation and, given that he’ll make $2MM now that he’s on the active roster, it’s reasonable to assume he will remain in the rotation for awhile.

Nationals Outright Jefry Rodriguez

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AUGUST 26: Rodriguez was passed through outright waivers and assigned to Rochester. He doesn’t have the requisite service time to reject an outright assignment, so he’ll remain in the organization as high minors depth. Rodriguez would become a minor league free agent this winter if he’s not re-selected to the big league roster before the end of the season.

AUGUST 24: The Nationals announced Tuesday that they’ve recalled lefty Sam Clay and right-hander Patrick Murphy from Triple-A Rochester. Righty Gabe Klobosits was optioned to Rochester in one corresponding move, while fellow right-hander Jefry Rodriguez was designated for assignment in another. The Nats also announced that right-hander Javy Guerra declined an outright assignment and elected free agency following his recent DFA.

Rodriguez, 28, has appeared in 14 games for the Nats this season and pitched to a 5.92 ERA with a below-average 17.9 percent strikeout rate and a 15.6 percent walk rate that is well north of the league average. The righty has pitched in parts of three big league seasons and had a bit of success with the Indians in 2019 (4.63 ERA in 46 2/3 innings), but he’s yet to find much in the way of consistency. Overall, he owns a lifetime 5.34 ERA, 16.8 percent strikeout rate and 13.4 percent walk rate in 123 Major League innings.

That said, Rodriguez did post strong numbers up through the Double-A level in the minors and has a passable 4.69 ERA in 71 innings spent pitching in a hitter-friendly Triple-A setting. He’s decent depth arm for a club in need of some innings, but because he’s out of minor league options he cannot be sent down to the minors without first clearing waivers.

Guerra, 35, posted a 4.52 ERA in 83 2/3 innings between the Blue Jays and Nationals from 2019-20 but was hammered for 13 runs (11 earned) on 12 hits and three walks with four strikeouts in six innings this season. He has a career 3.98 ERA in 302 2/3 big league innings and could potentially catch on as a depth option with a contending club looking for some experience to stash in the upper minors for the remainder of the year.

Nationals Claim Patrick Murphy Off Waivers From Blue Jays, Release Rene Rivera

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The Nationals have claimed Patrick Murphy off waivers from the Blue Jays, per Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com. Murphy was designated for assignment by the Blue Jays earlier in the week. Additionally, the club has released Rene Rivera, per Jessica Camerato of MLB.com.

Murphy worked as a starter in the minors through the 2019 season. At Double-A that year, he logged 84 innings with an ERA of 4.71. In 2020, with the minor league season wiped out, he was only able to get actual game action in the big leagues, pitching six innings out of Toronto’s bullpen, allowing one earned run on six hits and two walks.

A consistent issue with Murphy has been injuries, which continued this year. He was placed on the 60-day IL back in February and began a rehab assignment in late May. Since that time, he bounced between the majors and minors, being optioned three times. He’s dominated Triple-A hitters in 14 2/3 scoreless innings, with a strikeout rate of 29.3%. Though that also came with a concerning walk rate of 13.8%. At the big league level, he has a 4.82 ERA, but in a small sample size of just 9 1/3 innings. The 26-year-old is in his last option year, meaning Washington can keep him in the minors for the remainder of the season. But once the 2022 season begins, they would have to either keep him in the majors or designate him for assignment again.

As for Rivera, this brings a very short Nationals tenure to an end. The 38-year-old journeyman catcher was released by Cleveland just over a month ago and signed on with Washington in mid-July. He was able to appear in just four games with the Nats. Between the two clubs, his slash line for the season is .232/.293/.362. He will now be free to sign with other clubs. However, Washington had placed him on the IL just last week with an elbow contusion. The severity of that injury could determine the level of interest from other teams.

Blue Jays Place Ross Stripling On Injured List, Select Connor Overton

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The Blue Jays announced they’ve placed right-hander Ross Stripling on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain. Trent Thornton is being recalled from Triple-A Buffalo, while the Jays selected the contract of right-hander Connor Overton. To create 40-man roster space for Overton, Toronto designated righty Patrick Murphy for assignment.

Stripling has been a regular in the Jays starting five for much of the season. He’s made twenty appearances (nineteen starts) and worked 93 1/3 innings of 4.34 ERA/4.21 SIERA ball. Stripling has bounced back a bit from a 2020 season that saw him post a 5.84 ERA between the Dodgers and Jays, but he’s yet to regain the above-average form he showed during his best years in Los Angeles.

Toronto has been rolling with a six-man rotation recently. With Stripling out, it seems Hyun-jin Ryu, José Berríos, Robbie Ray, Alek Manoah and Steven Matz will get the ball more frequently over the coming days. The team didn’t provide a timetable on Stripling’s potential return.

Overton will be making his major league debut when he first gets into a game. Selected by the Marlins in the 15th round of the 2014 draft out of Old Dominion, Overton was released the following season. He’d go on to spend time in the Nationals’ and Giants’ organizations but didn’t get to the big leagues with either club.

The 28-year-old hooked on with the Jays on a minor league contract over the winter. He’s had a great season with the Bisons, working to a 2.03 ERA over 57 2/3 frames as a swingman. Overton has worked multiple innings in 17 of his 21 appearances in Triple-A, so he’ll serve as a long relief option for manager Charlie Montoyo. He’s never run particularly high strikeout rates, but Overton has been adept at avoiding walks and keeping the ball on the ground this season.

It’s a bit of a surprise to see the Jays designate Murphy, who will find himself on waivers in the coming days. The 26-year-old has long been regarded as one of the more talented pitching prospects in the organization, but a series of injuries has impeded his progress up the ladder. Murphy has had brief stints in the majors in each of the past two seasons, working 15 1/3 innings of 3.52 ERA ball.

While his peripherals in that limited work haven’t been particularly impressive, he’s averaged north of 96 MPH on his sinker. Murphy has typically posted groundball rates approaching or exceeding 50% at each minor league level. A starting pitcher throughout much of that time, Murphy has worked exclusively out of the bullpen this season. He’s in his final minor league option year, so any team that claims him could keep him in Triple-A through the end of the season but would have to break camp with him beginning in 2022.

Blue Jays Place Tim Mayza On 10-Day Injured List, Option Ryan Borucki

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The Blue Jays placed southpaw Tim Mayza on the 10-day injured list due to left elbow inflammation, the team announced.  Left-hander Ryan Borucki was also optioned to Triple-A, and lefty Kirby Snead and right-hander Patrick Murphy were recalled from Triple-A to fill the open two roster spots.

With Mayza now sidelined, The Athletic’s Kaitlyn McGrath notes the somewhat amazing fact that every member of the Jays’ opening day pitching staff has been optioned, released, or placed on the IL at some point this season. Despite zero pitchers who have been effective and healthy for the entire season, the Jays are now just 6.5 games out of first and 2.5 games out of a wild card spot.

Mayza has been that source of reliability out of the pen for the Jays, however, with a 3.75 ERA/3.08 FIP in 36 innings spanning 44 games. He’s particularly effective against same-handed hitters, who are slashing just .207/.246/.207 against him.

Snead, 26, will try to take on some of Mayza’s responsibilities in his absence. Snead has just two big league appearances, though he’s pitched to a 1.89 ERA in 33 1/3 innings in Triple-A this season.

Borucki might have taken on some of that workload, but he’s struggled to a 5.12 ERA/5.18 FIP across 20 outings. He gave up two runs on two hits and a walk in yesterday’s game against the Red Sox.

Murphy, 26, has been a name floating around recently as a guy who could be a difference-maker out of the Jays’ pen. The right-hander owns a microscopic 1.00 ERA in Triple-A across 13 innings of work. He has seven appearances with the big league club, the last one coming on July 28th when he tossed one scoreless inning of relief.

Blue Jays Reinstate Patrick Murphy From Injured List

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The Blue Jays announced they’ve reinstated right-hander Patrick Murphy from the 60-day injured list. Reliever Carl Edwards Jr. was placed on the 10-day IL with a left oblique strain. Fellow reliever Travis Bergen was activated from the 10-day IL and optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. Toronto had a vacancy on the 40-man roster, so no additional move was required to accommodate Murphy’s reinstatement.

Murphy will step right into the Jays MLB bullpen. The 26-year-old made a brief major league debut last season, tossing six innings over four appearances. In that time, he flashed a sinker that averaged just under 97 MPH and a mid-80s power curveball. A former third-round pick, Murphy has long been considered one of the more interesting pitching prospects in the Toronto system. Unfortunately, he’s been delayed by a series of injuries, including a Tommy John procedure and surgery to correct thoracic outlet syndrome.

Despite the health woes, Murphy’s stuff and track record of acceptable of strike-throwing in the minors has continued to intrigue evaluators. He entered this year among the top 30 prospects in the organization according to each of Baseball America, Eric Longenhagen of FanGraphs and Keith Law of the Athletic. Another injury- this time a sprained AC joint in his shoulder- had kept Murphy from pitching this season until today’s activation.

Edwards left last night’s game against the Yankees after facing just one hitter. Signed to a minor league deal last month, Edwards has made six appearances since being selected to the 40-man roster. He’s since allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings, striking out five while issuing a pair of walks.

Blue Jays Acquire Travis Bergen From Diamondbacks

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The Blue Jays are acquiring left-handed reliever Travis Bergen from the Diamondbacks in exchange for cash considerations, per various reporters (including Scott Mitchell of TSN). Right-hander Patrick Murphy is going on the 60-day injured list to clear 40-man roster space. Arizona had designated Bergen for assignment earlier this week. The teams have since announced the move.

It’s something of a homecoming for Bergen, who entered pro ball as a seventh-round pick of the Jays back in 2015. The Giants selected Bergen in the Rule 5 draft in advance of the 2019 season but returned him to Toronto in the middle of that year. The Blue Jays ultimately selected Bergen to the 40-man roster themselves, but they wound up flipping him to Arizona last summer for Robbie Ray. (Perhaps more meaningfully for the D-Backs, Toronto also agreed to pick up most of Ray’s $1.42MM salary for the 2020 stretch run).

Bergen will now team up with Ray, who re-signed with the Jays over the offseason. Despite spending most of his pro career in the Toronto organization, he’s only pitched in one MLB game as a Blue Jay. The rest of Bergen’s big league experience consists of 19.2 innings for the 2019 Giants and 6.2 innings for the Diamondbacks last year. Overall, he has a 4.82 ERA at the highest level. His 24% strikeout rate is fairly typical for a reliever, but Bergen has been plagued by a lofty 14.9% walk rate in his limited MLB time.

Between being selected in the 2019 Rule 5 draft and the lack of a minor-league season last year, Bergen has even less experience at Triple-A than he does in the big leagues. However, the 27-year-old struck out 43 against just nine walks with a 0.50 ERA in Double-A in 2018. Bergen has yet to reach arbitration and has three option years remaining, so the Jays can cheaply shuttle him back-and-forth between the majors and Triple-A Buffalo so long as he sticks on the 40-man roster.

Murphy has a sprained AC joint in his shoulder and hasn’t pitched in spring training, Mitchell notes. He made four relief appearances for Toronto last season.

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