Lockout Lookup: John Ryan Murphy

[RandBalls Stu]

The Twins used to have a player named Aaron Hicks before sending him away. He became an All-Star for the New York Yankees. This is the story of who the Twins acquired. 

Why You Remember Him: The Twins wanted a catcher. And while I have no way of knowing this for certain, they also wanted someone with the most Irish New York cop name in Major League Baseball. Thus, they acquired John Ryan Murphy from the New York Yankees for outfielder Aaron Hicks.

Hicks would become a reliable All-Star because of course he would. Murphy would not become a reliable Minnesota All-Star because of course he wouldn’t. But it’s much worse than that!

Per Baseball Reference, Hicks produced 8.1 WAR in 2017 and 2018. Murphy produced 82 at-bats for the Twins with a .143 average. But it’s much worse than even that!

Numbers can be cold and lifeless, but video is forever. You can find, on the public internet where even kids can see it, clips of Murphy hitting a go-ahead home run for the Yankees vs. the Twins and Hicks making a diving stab to finish off another victory for the Bombers over the hometown nine.

This feels like something we all should have seen coming considering the two parties involved in the transaction. But we just let it happen and hoped for the best and here we are.

“Never have dreams.” –Twins Daily co-founder Parker Hageman

What You Don’t Remember: If you’re playing bar trivia, he’s the answer to the question, “Who caught Mariano Rivera’s final pitch?” In his third professional game, no less. He also was C.C. Sabathia's 3000th strikeout. 

What You Might Remember: Murphy was eventually traded to Atlanta for Gabriel Moya. Moya has not pitched in the bigs since 2018.

What’s He Up To: Murphy is a free agent, last playing for PIttsburgh in 2020. Will he return to the game and inflict more pain, either directly or via side channels, on the Minnesota Twins? I mean, probably.

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[miracleb]

But boy............ he could "frame" the  S  out of those pitches! 

[deanlambrecht]

Thank you, Mr. Pohlad!  May I have another, sir?

Well done, Parker!

[theBOMisthebomb]

I remember him arguing pitches as a catcher during one of his few appearances in a Twins uniform and getting ejected. That, and the pain.

[Shaitan]

Not sure I'd call Hicks' Yankees career "reliable."

But he had a couple good years, for sure.

[Rosterman]

Yep, didn't want to pay big money in a year or so to Hicks and they needed a catcher.

[Game7-91]

50 minutes ago, Rosterman said:

didn't want to pay big money

A succinct summation of the Twins Way

[Parker Hageman]

Dead inside.

[ashbury]

15 hours ago, RandBalls Stu said:

Per Baseball Reference, Hicks produced 8.1 WAR in 2017 and 2018. Murphy produced 82 at-bats

82 is over ten times more than 8.1.  Sounds like we won this trade!

[dxpavelka]

I seem to remember part of  the trade involving a need to open the CF spot........    Career War since leaving:  9.8;  Byron Buxton WAR since Hicks leaving :  16.3

[miracleb]

SNAP!.......good point DX!    But.....still.......

[Thegrin]

...and I liked the trade at the time. I disliked Hicks and felt he didn't prepare and played under his potential. As I remember it, Murphy had decent numbers in 2 partial years with the Yankees.  Murphy turned out to be uber-forgettable with the Twins. Oh well.  I still don't like Hicks. He signs a major contract and *surprise!!!* he got hurt. I wasn't surprised.