It was clear almost from the moment he was acquired in August that Daniel Murphy would depart the Cubs after the season. He is extremely limited defensively, and the Cubs’ only infield needs were going to come – if anywhere – in the middle infield, where Murphy no longer seems even passable.
So, then, Murphy left, and he’s signing with a team that can use him more frequently at first base:
Daniel Murphy is in agreement with the Colorado Rockies on a two-year, $24 million deal, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 20, 2018
#Rockies agreement with free-agent Daniel Murphy is for two-years with a mutual option and buyout, sources tell The Athletic. Guaranteed total is $24 million.
— Robert Murray (@ByRobertMurray) December 21, 2018
Murphy, who will play next season at 34, hit just .299/.336/.454 (110 wRC+) last year after returning from offseason knee surgery, which was a line more like what he was doing before his swing change and breakout in the second half of 2015.
Despite that down year, his age, and the knee surgery that preceded last year, Murphy winds up getting a pretty healthy commitment on the hope that his bat can still be impactful. Given how much he puts the ball in play in the air, he’ll probably do very well at spacious Coors Field. This is not a bad move for the Rockies, who have needed a boost on offense for a while now. Weird, I know, to say about the Rockies, but it’s true.
Hopefully the Cubs will not have to face Murphy and the Rockies in the postseason again in 2019.