The White Sox might have quietly snagged a hidden Red Sox gem as Chris Murphy arrives with tools that could exceed expectations. DD
General manager Chris Getz said Murphy was an attractive trade acquisition because he can pitch in various situations.
The White Sox aren’t expected to make major free agent signings or blockbuster trades this offseason, so any progress in the win-loss column will mostly come from internal development and marginal additions.
An example of that could be a recent trade that sent minor league catcher Ronny Hernandez to the Boston Red Sox in exchange for left-handed pitcher Chris Murphy. At 6-foot-1, Murphy, 27, has two years of major league experience after being selected by the Red Sox in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of the University of San Diego.
Similar to acquiring Duncan Davitt at the trade deadline, Murphy has experience as a starter and a reliever, providing some flexibility for the White Sox pitching staff. Murphy’s importance may also be enhanced by being one of just five left-handed pitchers on the current 40-man roster, along with Tyler Gilbert, Brandon Eisert, Bryan Hudson and Ky Bush.
Chris Getz envisions Murphy playing versatile role
Murphy came up through the Red Sox minor league system as a starting pitcher. At the Double-A and Triple-A level in 2022, he posted a 4.03 ERA and a 1.28 WHIP across 152 innings and 28 starts.
But upon making his MLB debut in 2023, he moved to the Red Sox bullpen. In that role, he had a 4.91 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP with 49 strikeouts and 17 in his first 47.2 major-league innings.
“He has started in the past, which adds to his versatility and value,” White Sox general manager Chris Getz said. “Not that we are sold on what role he’s going to play quite yet, but he has a track record of being able to face opponents from the right-handed side and having weapons there in neutralizing those appearances. A guy with some experience to add to our bullpen. And look forward to having him as part of the team next year as well.”
Murphy missed the entire 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, but he returned to have a productive 2025 season. Across 34.2 innings out of the Red Sox bullpen, Murphy recorded a 3.12 ERA and a 1.18 WHIP with 30 strikeouts and 20 walks.
Those appearances included multi-inning, long-relief roles, as well as a few high-leverage outings in the late innings. Murphy mostly throws a three-pitch mix with a fastball that averages 94.3 mph, a curveball at 76.8 mph and a slider at 85.5 mph. Those three pitches accounted for 89.5% of his repertoire in 2025, though he sparingly threw a changeup, sinker and splitter.
Now a full season removed from surgery, Getz believes Murphy could take another step forward with the White Sox.
“Oftentimes with recovery of Tommy John, there could be some command that comes later than the actual stuff, and we recognize that. But at the very least, when you stack him up against what we have, we felt like he would insert nicely. Knowing that there’s some more ceiling in there.”
“And then the versatility was attractive as well, knowing that he’s been in multi-inning roles, he’s been in matchup roles and he’s also been a starter. We haven’t decided on how we’re going to use him, but the fact that there’s different options with him made him just that much more attractive.”
