After Matt Joyce was not producing to the standards of the Los Angeles Angles, the team has gone out and acquired outfield after outfielder. David Murphy is one of the latest to be traded.
The Angles have received Murphy from the Cleveland Indians, according to Mike DiGiovanna of the Los Angeles Times. The Indians will get minor league infielder Eric Stamets in return for Murphy.
Murphy was splitting time between the outfield and the designated hitter spot. He will more than likely platoon with newly acquired outfielder Shane Victorino in left field. The 33-year-old is hitting .296 with 27 RBIs. Murphy has been consistent in the outfield his whole career with a .990 fielding percentage, but he will be depended on to hit better than Joyce did. Murphy will be a free agent at the end of the year but does have a team option. This move could just be a rental for the Angles.
Stamets is very young but has some question marks. The 23-year-old is hitting just .248 this year in Double-A and just .262 combined in his four seasons in the minors. His fielding is also questionable. When he first entered baseball, his percentage was .969. Even though his fielding percentage this year is just .981, it has improved every year since the .969 percentage back in 2012. There is promise for the young man but he needs a few more years in the minors before he has a shot to produce at the big league level, possibly at third base. Although he is a shortstop by trade, that position is taken by the highly talented Francisco Lindor. His only shot to make the majors in a few years would be at third.
This move may seem small for the Angles, but Murphy will play a important role on the team. Not only is Murphy going to be relied on for hitting but also for his veteran leadership.