The Tampa Bay Rays could be trading for a very Tampa Bay Rays player.
Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported on Monday that the Rays are among several MLB teams showing interest in catcher Sean Murphy of the Oakland Athletics. Morosi mentions that Tampa Bay is taking a dual buyer-and-seller approach to the offseason trade market.
Murphy, 28, was a Gold Glove Award winner in 2021. He just had himself a career year offensively in which he hit .250 with 18 home runs and 66 RBIs (all personal bests). Murphy’s trade value is boosted by the fact that he has three more seasons of team control remaining as well.
The Rays, who are coming off an 86-win season where they lost in the Wild Card round, are typically known for having strong defenders up and down the roster. But they were only a middle-of-the-pack defensive team in 2022 and did not have a standout starter at catcher between Francisco Mejia and Christian Bethancourt. Murphy would be a nice add for Tampa, especially since he already had a funny viral moment with the Rays last season.
