Oakland A's: 3 potential landing spots for Sean Murphy

Oakland A’s trade rumors: 3 potential landing spots for Sean Murphy

OAKLAND, CA - JUNE 23: Sean Murphy #12 of the Oakland Athletics bats during the game against the Seattle Mariners at RingCentral Coliseum on June 23, 2022 in Oakland, California. The Mariners defeated the Athletics 2-1. (Photo by Michael Zagaris/Oakland Athletics/Getty Images) /

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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 28: Sean Murphy #12 of the Oakland Athletics at bat during the fourth inning of the game against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium on June 28, 2022 in New York City. (Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images) /

Los Angeles Angels

While an inter-division trade is always unlikely, it’s not impossible either.

The Los Angeles Angels are rolling with a combination of Max Stassi and Kurt Suzuki and while this duo is not the worst in the majors, it could use an upgrade both on offense and defense, one that Murphy could provide. Suzuki is a free agent at season’s end and Stassi is likely best used as an oft-used backup catcher.

On the season, the Angels have gotten well below average offensive output from both of their catchers, as Suzuki has been worth -0.3 bWAR and has just a 56 OPS+ paired with a dWAR of just 0.1

Stassi has been getting the majority of the at bats behind the plate but he has not fared much better than Suzuki. In 60 games, Stassi has just five home runs and an OPS+ of 88 while striking out in just about 30% of his plate appearances. His defense has not been much better either, as he has been worth just 0.2 dWAR per Baseball-Reference.

Adding a catcher of Murphy’s stature would give the club’s catching situation a significant boost. Everyone knows that the Angels have struggled to make the postseason with two of the best players in baseball on their roster. The front office should be willing to make any moves necessary to get this team closer to contention before their window is closed for good.

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