What do we know about John Ryan Murphy?

[stringer bell]

In another thread I admitted knowing next to nothing about John Ryan Murphy. I checked his bio in BB Reference and he certainly looks to be an upgrade over Chris Herrmann, that bar is pretty low.

 

One of the Yankee fan articles said that he had a positive defensive rating, but BB Ref doesn't indicate this (often Fan Graphs and BB Ref come out differently by their use of different formulas). I hope he is sound defensively and hits close to league average. If so, the Twins did OK.

[gunnarthor]

The Cameron fangraph articles says he's about average on pitch framing.  

[Otto von Ballpark]

This was posted in the trade thread, discusses Murphy for a few paragraphs including defense.  Cameron concludes "I don’t know that Murphy is going to be more than a decent platoon guy in Minnesota."

 

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/yankees-acquire-aaron-hicks-a-potential-bargain/

 

Sickels most recent review of Murphy (Sep. 2014) said "Seems likely to have a career as a role player."

 

http://www.minorleagueball.com/2014/9/15/6111315/new-york-yankees-top-20-2014-pre-season-prospects-in-review

[Otto von Ballpark]

On the personal side, Murphy grew up a Red Sox fan in Bradenton, FL:

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/28/sports/baseball/riveras-final-catcher-has-a-story-to-tell.html

[beckmt]

All this says is the Ryan was not sold on Hicks and viewed him as replaceable.  Murphy at least is a 2 or 3 year cheap stopgap to Turner and Garver.

[sane]

Murphy was the Yankees 4th highest rated prospect in 2014 according to Baseball America:

4. J.R. Murphy, c

J.R. MurphyBorn: May 13, 1991. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 195. Drafted: HS—Bradenton, Fla., 2009 (2nd round). Signed by: Jeff Deardorff/Brian Barber.
Background: Signed for $1.25 million as a second-round pick in 2009, Murphy played both catcher and third base early in his career but has become a durable option behind the plate. He caught a minor league-leading 105 games in 2013 while having his best offensive season, and he made his major league debut in September. Murphy was behind the plate at Yankee Stadium for Mariano Rivera’s final major league pitch.
Scouting Report: Murphy doesn’t have a plus tool, but he has sharpened his skills in the minors. After years of hard work, he improved his footwork and his release in 2013, which contributed to gunning down 48 percent of basestealers at Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He’s become a much better, quieter receiver, though he can get a little bit stabby behind the plate at time. His line-drive bat produces consistent solid contact to the gaps with fringe-average power, and the Yankees project him as a potential future .280 hitter with 10-12 homer power. He’s become a below-average runner.
 

[Craig Arko]

 

Murphy was the Yankees 4th highest rated prospect in 2014 according to Baseball America:

4. J.R. Murphy, c

J.R. MurphyBorn: May 13, 1991. B-T: R-R. Ht.: 5-11. Wt.: 195. Drafted: HS—Bradenton, Fla., 2009 (2nd round). Signed by: Jeff Deardorff/Brian Barber.
Background: Signed for $1.25 million as a second-round pick in 2009, Murphy played both catcher and third base early in his career but has become a durable option behind the plate. He caught a minor league-leading 105 games in 2013 while having his best offensive season, and he made his major league debut in September. Murphy was behind the plate at Yankee Stadium for Mariano Rivera’s final major league pitch.
Scouting Report: Murphy doesn’t have a plus tool, but he has sharpened his skills in the minors. After years of hard work, he improved his footwork and his release in 2013, which contributed to gunning down 48 percent of basestealers at Double-A Trenton and Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He’s become a much better, quieter receiver, though he can get a little bit stabby behind the plate at time. His line-drive bat produces consistent solid contact to the gaps with fringe-average power, and the Yankees project him as a potential future .280 hitter with 10-12 homer power. He’s become a below-average runner.
 

He and I share the same birthday. A few decades apart.

 

I like him already.

[Vanimal46]

We know that the Twins have until 2018 until he's arbitration eligible... so he's young and cheap. Best case scenario it sounds like we will see a league average C all-around. Worst case, we have a backup C and need to go back to the drawing board to find our primary C. 

[nicksaviking]

All I know is that guys who go by three names seem to have a high tendency of becoming serial killers.

[RaymondLuxuryYacht]

 

All I know is that guys who go by three names seem to have a high tendency of becoming serial killers.

Says Nick Sa Viking  

[sane]

All I know is that guys who go by three names seem to have a high tendency of becoming serial killers.

That doesn't make him a bad person!

[Otto von Ballpark]

 

We know that the Twins have until 2018 until he's arbitration eligible... so he's young and cheap.

Actually he could be on the cusp on super-2 eligibility next winter -- he currently has 1 year 120 days service time.

[Vanimal46]

 

Actually he could be on the cusp on super-2 eligibility next winter -- he currently has 1 year 120 days service time.

 

Ah. Baseball Reference fools me once again!

[Nick Nelson]

My sense is that Murphy is average in all regards. Average defender and likely to put up something close to the MLB average .240/.303/.379 line for a catcher. 

 

Getting back an average player, with some room to grow, at a very thin position (particularly in this organization) is a plus and probably not unreasonable for a guy like Hicks, who has proven very little at the MLB level in three seasons. 

[DaveW]

Terrible trade. I saw Murphy play several times this year in NYC, he will be lucky if he ever becomes "average" Hicks has 20/20 type offense and can play gold glove defense.

Terry Ryan needs to step down before he ruins the entire org!

[gunnarthor]

 

Terrible trade. I saw Murphy play several times this year in NYC, he will be lucky if he ever becomes "average" Hicks has 20/20 type offense and can play gold glove defense.

Terry Ryan needs to step down before he ruins the entire org!

I think we need a sarcasm font.

[DaveW]

 

I think we need a sarcasm font.

No, I don't think we do. Murphy is not a good catcher and will be lucky to be "average". Just a stupid trade all around.

[Craig Arko]

 

I think we need a sarcasm font.

I consider it a ringing endorsement.

[jimmer]

We know his .734 OPS was helped by a .357 BABIP and that it's hard for players, even fast players, to maintain that kind of BABIP.

[gunnarthor]

 

No, I don't think we do. Murphy is not a good catcher and will be lucky to be "average". Just a stupid trade all around.

Oh. OK, I guess.  

 

I figured it was sarcasm because of the Hicks being a 20/20 guy and gold glover.  I mean, I liked the guy but, no.  He doesn't hit RHP well enough to do that and his defense looks good (I like it better than the stats) but he's not a gold glove guy.

[sane]

Terrible trade. I saw Murphy play several times this year in NYC, he will be lucky if he ever becomes "average"

You saw him "play several times" and you are passing judgement?

And all the scouting services that have seen him play 450 games in the minors and two seasons in MLB are guessing?

[Dman]

Seems like a lot of Yankee's fans think they got robbed of a good catcher for a 4th outfielder.  So some of them don't view Hicks all that well.  I guess most of us like our own players better.

[DaveW]

 

We know that the Twins have until 2018 until he's arbitration eligible... so he's young and cheap. Best case scenario it sounds like we will see a league average C all-around. Worst case, we have a backup C and need to go back to the drawing board to find our primary C. 

Worst case is that he becomes a backup catcher (albeit a decent one at that) and we have a hole in the OF while Hicks goes on to becoming a stud player for the Yankees

[DaveW]

 

You saw him "play several times" and you are passing judgement?
And all the scouting services that have seen him play 450 games in the minors and two seasons in MLB are guessing?

Oh you mean the scouting services that say he is a future role player or platoon guy? But hey, he did hit a home run off an injured Glen Perkins...

[DaveW]

 

 

Seems like a lot of Yankee's fans think they got robbed of a good catcher for a 4th outfielder.  So some of them don't view Hicks all that well.  I guess most of us like our own players better.

Yankee fans are idiots. They hype up every mediocre prospect to be the next savior of the franchise, it rarely works out. I remember when Nunez was set to be the heir apparent to Jeter for the next decade :roll:

[jimmer]

 

Oh you mean the scouting services that say he is a future role player or platoon guy? But hey, he did hit a home run off an injured Glen Perkins...

didn't he also stay at a Holiday Inn Express once? :-)

[Dman]

 

Yankee fans are idiots. They hype up every mediocre prospect to be the next savior of the franchise, it rarely works out. I remember when Nunez was set to be the heir apparent to Jeter for the next decade :roll:

 

That might be true but I have no idea.  They can't be too far off though as Hicks was on his way to becoming a 4th outfielder for the Twins as well.  Unless he improves a lot from the left side you would have to platoon him and that reduces his value.

 

I am not a huge Murphy fan but given who these players are currently the trade seems fair.  Certainly not lopsided IMO.

[DaveW]

And answer me this: If Ryan was such a good prospect (which he never was) then why would the Yankees go out and overpay big time for a Brian McCann type at catcher? It's not like the Yankees didn't have a ton of other holes (2B, SS, OF, SP) heading into last season as well.

[DaveW]

 

 

That might be true but I have no idea.  They can't be too far off though as Hicks was on his way to becoming a 4th outfielder for the Twins as well.  Unless he improves a lot from the left side you would have to platoon him and that reduces his value.

 

I am not a huge Murphy fan but given who these players are currently the trade seems fair.  Certainly not lopsided IMO.

Hicks has shown improvement against LHP, also he can play a gold glove caliber CF, he will be playing every day for the Yanks, and he will do very well, maybe not perennial all star level, but I wouldn't be shocked if he didn't make one or two once the power fully comes into play.

[Vanimal46]

 

Worst case is that he becomes a backup catcher (albeit a decent one at that) and we have a hole in the OF while Hicks goes on to becoming a stud player for the Yankees

 

Can't argue with ya there. I only learned who JR Murphy is 3 hours ago. IMO it's still a little too early to tell if Hicks truly turned the corner, but I would have liked another year to find out if he did or not.