Cardinals: Why St. Louis should make Sean Murphy their next catcher

Sean Murphy is the perfect fit for St. Louis, and they need to make a strong play for him.

The St. Louis Cardinals are filling their catcher position for the first time in two decades after the retirement of future Hall of Famer Yadier Molina, and there have been so many different options floated out there this off-season. Out of all the catchers available, Sean Murphy is far and away the perfect fit for the Cardinals this off-season.

While fans are very familiar with free agent Willson Contreras, and the allure of the Toronto catchers is real, none of these options compare to what the Oakland Athletics’ catcher could bring to St. Louis in 2023 and beyond. Murphy played on the second-worst team in baseball in 2022, one that spent the last 12 months tearing apart their big league roster in order to prepare for a long-term rebuild. There has almost no reason to pay attention to the Athletics in 2022, except for their star catcher.

Derrick Goold reported that the Cardinals have discussed Murphy with the Athletics already, and it looks like the price will be steep for this player. The idea of putting together a significant prospect package for a player that many fans have not seen play and know little about can be worry some for many, but there is a reason why clubs like the Tampa Bay Rays, Atlanta Braves, Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians, Houston Astros, and Boston Red Sox have all checked in with Oakland about Murphy. Whoever secures the services of Murphy this off-season is acquiring a consensus top-5 catcher in all of baseball.

Here are the reasons why the Cardinals be going hard after Murphy, and what I believe it will take to bring him to St. Louis this off-season.

Sean Murphy can be one of the impact bats they are looking for

We’ll get to Murphy’s defense in a bit, but one of the biggest concerns of Cardinals fans this off-season has been upgrading the offense around Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado. On the season, Murphy slashed .250/.332/.426 with 18 HR and 66 RBI for the Athletics. He posted a 122 wRC+ which was 4th among all catchers with at least 500 PA.

But as many have noted, Murphy turned it up another notch from the month of June on in 2022. From June 1st on, he upped his play to a 137 wRC+, making him 37% above a league average hitter, let alone the average catcher in baseball. For context, the only catchers who posted a higher wRC+ on the entire season were Danny Jansen and William Contreras, who did so in less games, and are far worse defenders than Murphy. The underlying numbers show that his success is more than sustainable.

According to his Baseball Savant page, the 28-year old’s compared similarly to Carlos Correa, J.T. Realmuto, and Francisco Lindor at the plate last year. Correa is about to cash in on one of the largest free agency contracts in history, Lindor returned to his elite form in 2022, and Realmuto is the consensus best catcher in baseball.

Murphy has a track record beyond 2022 as well. He struggled some behind the plate in 2021 with a 100 wRC+, but managed a 136 wRC+ in 60 PA in 2019 and 133 wRC+ in 140 PA in 2020. Last year was Murphy’s second full season in the big leagues, and he established himself as a premier hitter not just at the catcher position, but compared to the best hitters in the game.

Murphy could more than handle providing protection for the Cardinals’ MVP duo in 2023. Not only does he improve their production from one of the league’s worst at catcher in 2022, but they do so through a bat who can truly supplement the Cardinals’ top talent.

Sean Murphy is an elite defensive catcher

The Cardinals value defense behind the plate, and rightfully so. Molina proved over the years just how valuable it is to have an elite presence behind the plate, and that is one of the biggest concerns of both fans and the front office for 2023. How does the team replace what Molina did defensively and for the Cardinals pitching staff? Well, Murphy happens to be one of, if not the best, in the business today.

According to FanGraphs, Defensive Runs Above Average (DEF) measures a player’s defensive value relative to league average at their own position. Average is rated at a 0, with +20 being excellent, +12 being great, +4 landing above average, and anything below 0 as below average or just plain bad. Only five catchers logged more than 500 PA last year, with Murphy and Realmuto being the only two players rated as “great” defenders with 15 DEF and 18 DEF respectively.

Murphy won the 2021 American League Gold Glove and had an argument once again in 2022 after maintaining his high level of play defensively while playing some of the most games of any catcher. Many of today’s catchers settle for part-time play behind the plate, while Murphy caught in over 70% of his club’s games.

Murphy’s all-around game led him to posting the 3rd highest fWAR in all of baseball in 2022, just behind Realmuto and Adley Rutschman. Murphy is one of the best talents at catcher right now, and will remain that way for years to come.

What it will cost to acquire Sean Murphy from Oakland

Let’s be frank, Sean Murphy is going to take a lot of value to acquire. But Cardinals fans keep saying they want St. Louis to make a significant move, right? If so, then fans need to get comfortable with the idea of making an aggressive offer, knowing that is what it takes to bring in premier, controllable talent.

Other clubs who are interested in Murphy, like the Guardians and Braves, have deep farm systems and can make a strong offer for the two-way star. The Cardinals will need a significant center piece in this deal, and the player that seems to be linked the heaviest for St. Louis is Nolan Gorman.

Yes, losing Gorman is tough. Gorman was ranked as the 29th best prospect in baseball before his call-up in 2022, slashing 226/.300/.420 with 14 HR and 35 RBI and a 107 wRC+ in his first 89 big league games. The 22-year old is an awkward defensive fit on the roster with Arenado manning his natural position of third base and Gorman grading out as one of the worst defenders at second base in 2022. Brendan Donovan just won a utility Gold Glove and projects to be the club’s second baseman in 2023, making Gorman someone the club could use as a trade chip.

If I am being honest, I would much rather send Dylan Carlson or Lars Nootbaar as a center of this package, but I think Gorman is the guy Oakland would want. Gorman presents a ton of potential at the plate from the left side and would be very appealing for a rebuilding team. But the Cardinals have to get used to the idea that it’s going to hurt to acquire an elite catcher, but its worth it for the chance of contending.

Here is what I think a trade for the Oakland catcher could look like.

Steep price to pay? Yes. But again, the Cardinals are acquiring a top 5 catcher in the game who will be a two-way star, and they have to pay up to grab that kind of talent. Gorman would be the centerpiece of this package, and then I think it will take one more top prospect and a high ceiling, low floor guy as well. Gordon Graceffo makes a lot of sense for Oakland, but maybe this would be a guy like Matthew Liberatore or Alec Burleson instead. Joshua Baez would fit the bill as that lower level, high upside prospect that could complete this deal, but guys like Jonathan Meija could work instead.

At the end of the day, Murphy provides St. Louis with the impact bat they need, elite defense behind the plate, and is controllable for years to come. This kind of player is worth cashing in major chips for, and I believe it is easily the best option for St. Louis this off-season.