Cleveland Guardians are trying to land Sean Murphy but should they?

The Cleveland Guardians are in pursuit of Oakland A’s catcher Sean Murphy.

The Cleveland Guardians are trying to land Sean Murphy, a prized catcher out of Oakland, known for his defensive prowess. He’s a significant upgrade over the likes of Austin Hedges but he isn’t exactly a great hitter as we know it. He’s a career .236 hitter, who has only played one full season of ball and is entering his age 28 seasons.

He’s got decent power for a hitter with a limited offensive ceiling, but he’s not exactly an All-Star potential guy as of right now. Maybe that changes if he’s in Cleveland’s lineup, but he isn’t showing to be a staunch offensive talent.

That’s ok, he’s still a very good option defensively. Considering the Guardians focus very hard on defense (four Gold Glover winners), he makes total sense for the club. He’s also under team control for the next three seasons. So he’s someone who really could help the squad.

But as everything in sports goes, to what cost? Murphy is not worth a high prospect, not even close. He doesn’t have big home run power, that’s a knock against him. He strikes out more than anyone on the Guardians currently, that’s a huge knock against him. He’s solid when it comes to getting on base, as he’d rank third in walks against all Guardian players. He’s also a very reliable defensive catcher.

But he’s only had one full season of action (2022), and in that season he put up comparable numbers to the season prior (2021), where he played nearly 30% less. That’s concerning.

Is it concerning enough to not trade for him? No, not if you want a Mason Hickman or Will Dion. But if you think you’re getting a Top 25 guy for Murphy, you’re out of your mind.

Sean Murphy is worth going after but not at the cost of better talent

Bo Naylor is projected to be everything Sean Murphy is, but with a better bat. There is no way I’m making a deal for Murphy that includes Naylor, or any other Top 25 prospect. I’m not even entirely sure I’d give the A’s Zach Plesac for Murphy straight up.

While Plesac can’t get you a Mike Clevinger-sized haul in return, you could probably get one or two very good prospects for Plesac, and that would make more sense. I’d consider Murph for Amed Rosario, as long as Oakland gives up a Top 50 prospect alongside Murphy. Though with Rosario’s contract stats and The A’s being more cash-poor than the Guards, that doesn’t seem likely.

Giving up on the future of someone like Naylor (or George Valera, or Brayan Rocchio, or…) for Murphy makes no sense. He’s not an All-Star caliber player. He’s not Mike Piazza or Javy Lopez. He’s not someone who can reshape your offense.

He’d be welcomed for sure, but only for the right price.