The Red Sox have traded left-hander Chris Murphy to the White Sox, according to announcements from both clubs. Catching prospect Ronny Hernandez headed to the Red Sox in return. Bob Nightengale of USA Today first reported that Murphy was headed to Chicago. Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic reported it would be for a catcher. Alex Speier of The Boston Globe specified that Hernandez would be that catcher.
Murphy, 28 in June, made his big league debut as a long reliever with Boston in 2023. He logged 47 2/3 innings over 20 appearances, allowing 4.91 earned runs per nine. His 23.1% strikeout rate, 8% walk rate and 44.7% ground ball rate were all pretty close to league averages. He couldn’t carry that over in 2024, as he required Tommy John surgery in April of that year.
He was on the injured list until midway through the 2025 season. He logged another 34 2/3 innings in the big leagues this year with a 3.12 ERA. His 20.3% strikeout rate was down a bit and his 13.5% walk rate was a notable jump, though perhaps some post-surgery rust was at play. His ground ball rate climbed to 54.3%.
Boston had a bit of a roster crunch today and needed to make some cuts. Both Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Winckowski were designated for assignment today and flipping Murphy also opens up a spot. They also traded lefty Brennan Bernardino to the Rockies.
For the White Sox, they are rebuilding and have more ability to see if Murphy finds another gear in 2026 and moving forward. He still has an option, meaning they could keep him in the majors or minors or shuttle him back and forth throughout the next season. He came up as a starter, so it’s possible they could try stretching him back out, or they could keep him in a relief role. He has a bit more than two years of service time, meaning he hasn’t yet qualified for arbitration and can still be controlled for another four seasons, maybe even five if he spends a long time on optional assignment.
For Boston, they clear out a roster spot and add some non-roster catching depth. Hernandez, 21, was an international signing out of Venezuela. He hasn’t yet climbed higher than the Single-A level. In his 1,060 minor league plate appearances, he has a 13.9% walk rate, 17.9% strikeout rate, .275/.379/.379 line and 115 wRC+. FanGraphs gave him an honorable mention on their list of top White Sox prospects back in April. He’s a long-term flier for Boston.
Photo courtesy of Rick Scuteri, Imagn Images
A catcher? Kyle Teel for Chris Murphy, book it.
I think the White Sox officially win the Crochet trade then
Always bet on Braden Montgomery, 2028 AL MVP.
Let’s get him to the majors before he’s named American League MVP.
Na probably Quero.
That would be AWESOME….but I think too optimistic.
Could be Korey Lee, but I think he’s out of options. Would assume the Red Sox are looking for MLB depth in a deal.
Red Sox shoot for the Moon unless they can get a Hodge podge.
Ethan Salas would of been the right move
I thought it said Shawn Murphy at first glance. I was thinking, why not keep Shawn and Baldwin
Anyone know the return yet?
Maybe Korey Lee?
Article has been updated, Ronny Hernandez is the return.
I wonder if it’s not a 40 man guy. Corolla said we’re adding Uberstine, Drohan, and Sandlin. Do we have the spots to do that?
Cotillo
Prefer your first answer. More of a chance of Juggies rather than JUGS machines.
Nice tease by Darragh there. I think you’d have to look further down the list of CWS catchers to find the return for Murphy.
Seems like a short term upgrade for the bullpen. Catching isn’t necessary a weakness for the Wsox.
It’s definitely not one of the top 3 Sox catchers.
It could be Lee if the Sox plan to non-tender Wong. But seems like they’d aim higher for a backup
Last year Ronny Hernandez repeated Low-A with slightly worse numbers…color me unimpressed.
The catching position is a somewhat unique strength for the Wsox and yes he’s been unimpressed at best.
Not sure I like this as a Sox fan. Murphy has showed some real potential. Guess they really needed more roster spots.
R5 / non tender deadline along with roster crunches.
That’s a good pickup for the WSox. I like C. Murphy.
Breslow cleaning house today. I don’t mind this move as this move effectually saves Cora from himself because if Murphy is on the roster Cora will use him. I am a bit surprised at Bernardino though. Sox went from have a plethora of LH Relievers to basically just Chapman
I thought Murphy was pretty solid as was Bernardino. Interesting choices to unload. Not much in return. Hope they don’t regret it. I assume there will be many more moves in the near future.