MLB trade deadline rumors: Cleveland Guardians “discussed” Sean Murphy
By Kevin Henry
Looking to add some extra production to their lineup at catcher, the Cleveland Guardians have reportedly been in talks with the Oakland A’s about the possible acquisition of catcher Sean Murphy before the MLB trade deadline.
Cleveland Guardians trade rumors: Acquiring Sean Murphy has been “discussed” with the Oakland A’s.
In an article for The Athletic (subscription required), Zack Meisel writes that the Cleveland Guardians and the Oakland A’s have “discussed” a potential trade that would bring catcher Sean Murphy to Cleveland. The Guardians rank 25th in Major League Baseball in bWAR (minus-1.2) at the catcher position, with four players landing at-bats this season as a catcher for Cleveland. Austin Hedges leads the group with 205 plate appearances, but the 29-year-old backstop has slashed just .176/.245/.280 while posting 0.1 bWAR.
Making a trade for Murphy, however, won’t be easy, Meisel writes. Oakland “can just hang on to Murphy” as the 27-year-old has three-plus years of team control remaining (he won’t be a free agent until after the 2025 campaign). With catching always a priority, if the A’s don’t receive a trade offer they like before the August 2 MLB trade deadline, the team can hold on to Murphy until the offseason and see what trade talks might bring then.
Murphy has logged 1.8 bWAR this season, slashing .238/.314/.423 with 12 home runs and 41 RBI, both marks that are the second-highest on the A’s this season.
With Shea Langeliers waiting in the catching wings for Oakland, coming over to the A’s in the trade deal that sent Matt Olson to the Atlanta Braves, the green and gold can be patient with any Murphy trade talks. The ninth overall pick in the 2019 MLB draft is slashing .277/.361/.522 this season in Triple-A Las Vegas, hitting 19 home runs and driving in 51.
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The MLB trade deadline is fast approaching, and it appears the Oakland A’s and Cleveland Guardians still have more work to do in order to make a trade for Sean Murphy a reality before time runs out on August 2.