“Murphy, who played for the independent Long Island Ducks, has signed a minor league contract with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim,” local media, including ESPN, reported on Wednesday (June 13). Murphy, born in 1985, announced his retirement in January 2021. However, he signed with Long Island in March and played again, shaking off the rust by batting .331 (47-for-142) in 37 independent league games.
His performance caught the eye of the Angels, who were in need of infield reinforcements, and led to a final deal. Murphy is a former All-Star second baseman. In his big league career (12 years), he batted .296 (5308-for-1572) with 138 home runs and 735 RBIs. In 2016 with the Washington Nationals, he batted .347 with 25 home runs and 104 RBIs, finishing second in National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) voting. A three-time All-Star, two-time Silver Slugger, and MVP of the 2015 NL Championship Series, he boasts a storied individual career. He retired his jersey after his final season with the Colorado Rockies in 2020, and is looking to return to the big leagues after a three-year absence.
According to CBS Sports, “The Angels, who are in the midst of a postseason (PS) drought, are desperate to make it to the PS this year. It’s 메이저놀이터 their best hope to hold on to Shohei Ohtani, who will become a free agent at the end of the season and has expressed a desire to play for a contending team. The Angels are currently 36-31 and in third place in the American League West. They have a 6.5-game lead over the first-place Texas Rangers. Since 2010, the Angels’ only PS was in 2014 (when they were eliminated in the Division Series). They have big league superstars in Ohtani and Mike Trout, but the team’s lack of success has led to rumors of an Ohtani trade.
Murphy played first and second base for Long Island. He will likely play first base and designated hitter for the Angels. The Angels need depth at first base, where four players (Brandon Brewley, Jake Lamb, Matt Tice, and Jared Walsh) who have started 14 or more games have a combined .226 batting average. For now, Murphy will be sent to Triple-A to get his game checked out and then wait to see if he gets a big league call-up.