The Washington Nationals made their first big move of the offseason on Thursday, agreeing to sign free agent second baseman Daniel Murphy to a three-year contract worth $37.5 million.
Murphy, who cemented his status as a postseason hero last season with the New York Mets by hitting a home run in six consecutive games, fits nicely with the current Nats’ roster and will help them try to rebound from last season’s disaster, when they failed to make the playoffs despite entering with World Series aspirations.
The 30-year-old Murphy’s best asset is his ability to hit for average, which is something that he has done with terrific aplomb throughout his career.
Since the start of the 2011 season, Murphy batted .291 and developed into both a doubles machine and the toughest player in Major League Baseball to strike out. He has hit 153 doubles in that span, which ties him for fourth in all of baseball, and his 13.1 at-bats per strikeout topped the leaderboard in 2015.
Murphy also thrives in RBI opportunities, hitting at least .290 with runners in scoring position every season of his career. With two outs and runners in scoring position, that number increases to .314, good for seventh in the league during that time, according to ESPN Stats & Info.
It’s not just his hitting prowess that piqued the Nationals attention, though, it’s also that he does it from the left side of the plate. Washington’s lineup was extremely right-handed heavy last season, and the addition of Murphy helps Bryce Harper give it a bit more balance.
Murphy has been anything but consistent defensively throughout his career, but at least he is versatile. He has logged significant time at second base, first base, third base and even left field, and it is likely that he will be asked to play some first base in Washington. Ryan Zimmerman will start the year as the first baseman, but his durability concerns could mean games at first base are in Murphy’s future.
His familiarity with the Nationals as well as the National League East is also a positive factor. Over the past three seasons, Murphy hit .310 with 10 extra-base hits at Nationals Park. Put him in that stadium—which is considerably more hitter-friendly than the Mets’ Citi Field—for half of his games, and his numbers could easily be even better than they have been in the past.
At the end of the day, Murphy should be admired for what he is instead of criticized for what he is not. He is far from a good defender, but the Nationals were not looking for a great defensive player. They were looking for a durable, consistent left-handed second baseman to fill a gaping hole and add a lefty to their right-handed heavy lineup. Murphy fits that need like few others can, and the postseason experience that he gained this past season can’t hurt, either.
The Nats are a team with definite playoff expectations. Last year was certainly a disappointment, but they still have an elite rotation consisting of Max Scherzer, Stephen Strasburg and Gio Gonalez, as well as a talented lineup that is led by the best hitter in baseball last year, NL MVP Bryce Harper.
Murphy won’t wow anybody with his athleticism or his defense, but he is just what the Nationals needed, and don’t be surprised if he is a driving force behind their successful rebound campaign in 2016.