D-backs reportedly sign catcher John Ryan Murphy to 1-year deal
Jan 10, 2019, 12:52 PM | Updated: 12:55 pm
Arizona Diamondbacks' John Ryan Murphy follows through on a two-run double during the third inning of the team's baseball game against the Oakland Athletics on Friday, May 25, 2018, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)
The Arizona Diamondbacks will bring back catcher John Ryan Murphy on a one-year deal, USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported on Thursday.
Murphy’s deal is for $900,000, Nightengale said. This was Murphy’s first year of arbitration eligibility.
The 27-year-old catcher was part of a three-man rotation behind the plate last season for the D-backs, who also had Alex Avila and Jeff Mathis on their roster. Additionally, the team had catcher Chris Stewart, who joined the team in September. Avila is under contract for next season, while Mathis has since signed with the Texas Rangers. Stewart is a free agent, per Spotrac.
Murphy hit .202 last year with nine home runs and 24 RBI in 223 plate appearances, registering a .619 OPS. He got hot for a time, hitting .295 with five home runs and 11 RBI in May.
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The 2019 season would mark Murphy’s third with Arizona after he was with the Yankees and Twins previously. His 223 plate appearances in 2018 were a career-high.
