Murphy signs with Goldeyes
February 1, 2021
By Steve Schuster
Winnipeg Goldeyes
WINNIPEG, MB – The Winnipeg Goldeyes signed outfielder Max Murphy on Monday.
Murphy hit .256 with five home runs and 27 RBI in 58 games last season for the St. Paul Saints. The Robbinsdale, Min., native finished tied for 10th in the American Association with 38 runs scored and tied for seventh with 14 doubles. Murphy hit safely in 39 of 58 contests, and compiled a 10-game hitting streak (19-for-39, .487) from August 18 to 28.
Murphy first joined St. Paul in 2018 where he ranked tied for ninth in the American Association with a .319 batting average, and set a Saints’ single-season record with 138 base hits. Murphy also tied for second in the league that summer with 10 outfield assists. The following season, Murphy batted .343 for St. Paul with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs in just 50 games before his contract was purchased by the Arizona Diamondbacks.
The 28-year-old outfielder saw action with three Diamondbacks’ affiliates, and reached the triple-A level for the first time in his career. Murphy hit .278 in 24 combined games in Arizona’s farm system.
“I’m a big fan of Max,” said Goldeyes’ manager Rick Forney. “The year he was picked up by the Diamondbacks, no one could get him out. He was locked in and hitting everything hard. He’s a great defender who covers a lot of ground with a good throwing arm. He’s a guy that plays a lot of ballgames for you and understands independent baseball. He’s a phenomenal player, and I’m thrilled to have him.”
Murphy is entering his eighth season of professional baseball, and was originally drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the ninth round out of Bradley University (Peoria, Illinois) in 2014. A right-handed batter and fielder, Murphy was twice voted an all-star in the affiliated minors, first with the Rookie Appalachian League’s Elizabethton Twins in 2014 and later with the High-A Florida State League’s Fort Myers Miracle in 2017. Murphy’s 2014 campaign, in which he hit .378, earned him Appalachian League Most Valuable Player honours. In addition to his all-star nod in 2017, Murphy was voted a Rawlings Gold Glove winner as the top right fielder across all levels of the affiliated minor leagues.
In 590 professional games played, Murphy is a lifetime .282 hitter with a .351 on-base percentage and a .440 slugging percentage. The 5-foot-11, 195-pound Murphy has averaged 103 runs scored, 36 doubles, eight triples, 17 home runs, 85 RBIs, 16 stolen bases, and 54 walks per 162 contests.
The Goldeyes now have eight players under contract for the 2021 season. American Association clubs may carry up to 28 players during spring training, which is scheduled to begin in May.
2021 Winnipeg Goldeyes Signings
RHP Ryan Dull
C Lucas Herbert
OF Tyler Hill
RHP Josh Lucas
1B Kyle Martin
OF Max Murphy
RHP Eduard Reyes
OF Liam Scafariello
The Winnipeg Goldeyes and the American Association intend to play the 2021 season, and expect a schedule to be released in the coming weeks.