Twins Banking On Murphy's Growth

 

.277/.327/.406. For a catcher who gets it done defensively, that’s more than adequate.

He did that while sporting a 25% k rate and a completely unsustainable .357 BABIP. The BABIP will certainly come down, the question is can he get his k rate down, as of now it's tough to say because of his big time struggles against the curve. If it doesn't you are looking at a guy who will struggle to hit .240 or so in the majors with not enough "pop/power" to make up for it.

That doesn't mean he doesn't have a future, just he likely tops out as a backup moving forward. If he can get the k rate down, then he can become hopefully an average catcher. Color me skeptical for now though....he does have youth on his side though.

“I don’t think he’s reached his peak,” said assistant general manager Rob Antony. “I think he has more potential."

I sure hope so. I can't stop myself from thinking that he is what the Twins consider a number one draft pick. After all, he is what the Twins felt was worthy of a trade for their #1 draft pick. Add the investment of years in development for Hicks, and Murphy is what they figure is a comparable and worthy talent to be a fair trade? I sure hope he hasn't reached his peak, and has more potential. I hope further that he actually achieves it.

Ya, I don't get the whole "we traded a number 1 pick for him angle".

However, this is the third OF they've traded now, hopefully this works out better than the Span trade....

For all the Hicks' lovers.....KLAW has him as one of his breakout players this year.....

I expect his numbers will be inflated due to getting about half his overall reps against lefties, which he has always hit (a semi platoon player in NY).  And these boards counting him as yet another player that had more success elsewhere.

 

And his HR's will likely be inflated in that stadium as well.

He thinks Hicks will play pretty much full time, since most of the Yankee OF are old, often injured (thanks for making me look bad, Ellsbury), etc.

Aaron Hicks is worth no more or no less because he was once a number one draft pick.
Chris Parmelee, Alex Wimmers and Levi Michael were also number one draft picks and they are nearly worthless now.

Maybe so. It is just so hard for myself to talk myself into that and treat it as fact - that being a #1 draft pick has an insignificant value. This year, a #1 draft pick is worth a salary of the $15.8 million qualifying offer for the year, or about 15% of the Twins payroll (just a guess without actually knowing the exact Twins' payroll - but you get the point). I understand that that is a bit of a spin on the qualifying. My mind is often not fair with its internal dialogue. It is harder to quantify what Parmelee and Whimmers and Michaeal were worth as the assigned value didn't start until the 2013 season, but now my mind is even more troubled, since you brought that up. And maybe I just shouldn't think that way, and just throw away the whole idea of worth of a #1 pick that MLB has assigned and evaluates and has raised form $13.3 million to $14.1 million to $15.3 million to the present $15.8 over the last 4 years. This trading from position of strength argument my thought process has even more trouble with - a position so strong that a 3rd baseman is now playing out of position in the show without ever playing the outfield before in his development. I continue to doubt, and have trouble joining the club, that might think the evaluations by Rob Anthony and the Twins front office personnel is absolutely or necessarily something I can take to the bank (Chris Parmelee, Alex Wimmers and Levi Michael, say no more).

If the Twins want to see Murphy's potential, I would hope that he gets the majority of games behind the plate and in the lineup sooner than later

This would be one time when I agree with Law.

I think this trade will be viewed as a steal by the Yankees a couple years from now.

I think most non Twins fans already view it as a steal. As of now they traded a back up catcher for a guy who has gold glove and 20/20 type potential at CF. If Hicks turns into what he potentially can, this trade ends up as a disaster.

I guess I don't understand why Suzuki is still even on the roster. Why not just give Murphy the starting job (4-5 games a week) and back him up with Hicks (who can't hit, but is solid defensively)

I'm sure they could at least get a PTNBL back for Suzuki, no?

I haven't seen anything to suggest that.

Really? Dave Cameron views it that way for one.