Veteran righty accepts to play for a Japanese team
According to Robert Murray of FanSided, right-hander Patrick Murphy has reached an agreement with the Hokkaido Nippon Ham Fighters of Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball. Subject to a physical examination, the agreement will be for a year with a 2025 option, performance bonuses, and escalators.
Murphy, who turns 29 in June, played minor league ball for the Twins in 2023. He played a fairly standard relief role to start the season, but in the last two months, he was stretched out. He pitched 33 appearances between the beginning of April and August 1st, 44 2/3 innings, with an earned run average of 4.63. He walked batters at a rate of 16.1% but struck out 25.3% of opposing pitchers. After that, he made nine more appearances and added 40 2/3 innings with a 2.66 ERA, a 24.7% strikeout rate, and an 8.8% walk percentage.
He was selected by the Blue Jays in the third round of the 2013 draft, before this year. With that team, he reached the majors before eventually being claimed on waivers by the Nationals. He threw 39 2/3 major league innings with a 4.76 ERA between those two teams from 2020 to 2022, but he was not promoted to the major leagues in 2023.
If he had stayed in North America until 2024, he probably would have only received minor league offers. Instead, he is going to Japan, where he will likely be eligible for a higher salary and a chance to establish himself in what is widely regarded as the best league outside of Major League Baseball. Murphy did both in 2023, so it’s unclear if the Fighters intend to use him as a starter or reliever. That might give them some flexibility. Should he perform well abroad, he may eventually make his way back to the majors, following in the footsteps of players such as Miles Mikolas, Chris Martin, Nick Martinez, and others.
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