Five Oakland Athletics’ Offseason Targets: Left Field

Sep 28, 2015; Anaheim, CA, USA; Los Angeles Angels left fielder David Murphy (19) has a bucket of ice water dumped on his head after hitting a walk off single in the ninth inning of the game against the Oakland Athletics at Angel Stadium of Anaheim. Angels won 5-4. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

David Murphy: 33 years old

Position: Outfielder

Bats: Left, Throws: Left

Height: 6’ 3”, Weight: 210 lb.

I have plenty of memories of David Murphy killing the A’s when he played for the Texas Rangers from 2007-2013. He played an important role in helping those teams make back-to-back World Series appearances in ’10 & ‘11. Since then, he has still proven himself a serviceable option for both corner outfield positions as well as being able to hold his own at the plate. Despite having a ‘down year’ and being traded from the Cleveland Indians to the Los Angeles Angels, he still managed a very respectable .283 average while playing in 132 games.

What makes Murphy such a valuable bat in the lineup is his unique approach and unwavering ability to perform late in the season. His approach is unique because he can beat pitchers in a variety of ways. He is a career .284 hitter on the first pitch, but also battles deep into counts and doesn’t strike out a lot (only 49 K’s in 2015). Matchups also don’t really apply to him as he hits well against both both righties (.281 in ’15) and lefties (.304 in ’15). He currently has a team option of $7 million that I don’t see the Angels picking up, so, with his age, I could see the price tag coming down a bit and would like to see the Athletics take a look at him.

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