Red Sox left-hander Chris Murphy gains experience from last season to position him for a spot in the '24 bullpen
Red Sox left-handed pitcher Chris Murphy made his major league debut this past season. The southpaw was initially an unlikely candidate for a promotion to the bigs after struggling out of the gate with Triple-A Worcester.
Murphy earned his first major league win on July 23, in the club’s 6-1 win over the Mets at Fenway Park.
“It’s nothing short of amazing,” Murphy said post game to WEEI’s Castiglione and Will Flemming. “My journey up here has been special and these guys here have been nothing but gracious in inviting me to this team and making me feel part of it. It’s awesome.”
Prior to his initial big league promotion, Murphy was far from efficient as a starter, he posted an 8.35 ERA in nine starts. He struggled with his command, walking 25 batters in 36 ⅔ innings. This resulted in the Sox moving Murphy to the bullpen and work on getting his command back.
Murphy worked in the WooSox bullpen, working on getting back on track. Once he had the opportunity to get to the bigs, he seized that chance, showing he belonged.
“I feel like I belong here,” said Murphy. “Every game is meaningful here, we’re in the hunt. We’re trying to win every single game. Everyone in here cares… it’s one of those mentality’s we’re on board from pitch one.”
Murphy struggled to throw strikes early on in the season, falling behind counts and had a tough time battling back against opposing batters.
“Early in the season, he didn’t throw enough strikes as a starter,” Manager Alex Cora said this summer about the left-hander. “He was throwing 95 pitches in four innings. And when we made the transition, he’s been consistent in the strike zone.”
Murphy offers a five-pitch mix, four seam heater, slider, curveball, changeup and sweeper. He predominantly threw his four seamer, opponents hit .338 against his top pitch. It averaged 93.9 mph generated 15.5 in Whiff percentage. His curveball was his most effective pitch, holding runners to .121 batting average, .112 expected batting average and was his top put away pitch (25.9%).
The southpaw appeared in 20 games for the Red Sox, posting a 1-2 record with one save, 49 strikeouts, 1.41 WHIP, 4.91 ERA in 47 2/3 innings.
The question is whether or not Murphy will be part of chief baseball officer Craig Breslow’s plans for the 2024 bullpen. Boston is thin on left-handed pitching at the upper levels.
So far this offseason, the Red Sox have added two lefties to the bullpen, Helcris Olivarez and Jorge Benitez on minor league pacts, both include invites to spring training.
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Olivarez is a former top prospect with a live arm, Boston will hope to tap into the potential he possessed with the Rockies. Benitez is an interesting option for next season. He doesn’t throw hard, which appears to be a calling card for what Breslow is looking for in his pitchers. Command is an issue for the newest minor league signing.
Brennan Bernardino, Joe Jacques and Brandon Walter are the others on the 40-man roster. With it still being early on in the offseason, those players could be traded to other clubs to improve the team’s overall depth in various areas on the roster.
Follow Chris on Twitter @ChrisHenrique
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