A lot can change in a few weeks, Nationals General Manager Mike Rizzo claimed he “believed in this team” when the trade deadline ended on July 1st and Bryce Harper remained on the roster. Fast forward to today and he’s traded Daniel Murphy to the Cubs and Matt Adams to the Cardinals.
The Cubs sent Class A minor league infielder Andruw Monasterio and a player to be named later or cash considerations to Washington for Murphy. The Cardinals sent cash considerations to the Nationals for Adams.
Chicago will have a tough time figuring out where to play Murphy once Kris Bryant comes back from the disabled list and returns to third base. Javier Baez is having a tremendous season with a .289 batting average, 25 home runs and 89 RBI. Murphy also hasn’t played in the outfield since his 2011 season.
Mike Rizzo said the trades give his team financial flexibility for the 2019 season. With superstar Bryce Harper set to become a free agent at the end of the season, it makes sense for him to clear some financial space for their attempt to resign him. He said he still believes in the players remaining on his roster.
Murphy, a career .299 hitter, is batting .300 this season with six home runs and 29 RBIs in 56 games. He will be a free agent after this season. Murphy said he was “surprised” to learn he was traded and called the move “bittersweet.”
Murphy is hitting .340 since the All-Star break, 10th-best in the majors. Over the past three seasons, Murphy is hitting .366 with runners in scoring position, the best mark by anyone with at least 500 plate appearances.
