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The Minnesota Twins are winless so far this season, entering Thursday’s game with a punchless lineup that is striking out at epic levels leading the futility. It’s too early for any big moves to happen, but according to LaVelle E. Neal III of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Twins added some depth on Thursday by agreeing to terms with outfielder David Murphy on a minor league contract.
Murphy spent spring training this year with the Boston Red Sox, but he was released in late March on the heels of his exercising the opt-out in his deal. The 34-year-old split the 2015 season between the Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels, with a .283/.318/.421 slash-line with 10 home runs and 50 RBIs over 391 total plate appearances.
Through his 10 major league seasons, the left-handed hitting Murphy has better numbers against right-handed pitching (.795 OPS vs. .655 OPS vs. left-handers). But that should be of little consequence to the Twins, as long as he can provide some competent at-bats when he’s in the lineup.
Murphy will reportedly be assigned to Triple-A Rochester right off the bat, but there are some indications he will be up with the Twins in short order. It remains to be seen how Murphy will ultimately fit in the Twins’ outfield mix, if at all beyond organizational depth or a bench option, but the most obvious move in the short term would be sending highly-touted prospect Byron Buxton down to Triple-A for a time.
Murphy may have been waiting for an immediate opportunity in the big leagues, and it appears the Twins were offering the closest thing to that. Murphy will not bring a turnaround all by himself, but an opportunity for Buxton to go to Triple-A and work his kinks out at the plate should be welcome right now.
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