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.
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
