Thank You, Tom Murphy, for Four Years with the Mariners!

In a previous article, I encouraged the Mariners to offer Tom Murphy a contract. Either the Mariners did not offer Murphy a contract or they did and Murphy did not accept. The Mariners' fans will not see Tom Murphy play catcher in a Seattle uniform this coming season. He became a free agent after the 2023 season. The San Francisco Giants recently offered him a two-year contract with a club option for a third year.

I was under the impression that the Mariners would re-sign Murphy. He, reportedly, wanted to stay with the Mariners. Didn’t Jerry Dipoto say that Scott Servais would kill him (metaphorically speaking, of course) if he let Murphy go? I got the impression that Murphy’s return was almost guaranteed. Unfortunately, I was wrong.

Murphy’s Baseball Career Pre-Seattle

Murphy is a New York native, born in West Monroe, NY. He attended college at the State University of New York (SUNY) in Buffalo.

The Colorado Rockies selected Tom in the 2012 Amateur Draft from SUNY Buffalo. Murph played in the Rockies’ minor leagues for several years, then made his MLB debut on September 12, 2015. Murph played four seasons with Colorado in the big leagues before arriving in Seattle in 2019. In addition to playing catcher and designated hitter in his first season with the Mariners, he pitched in three games and played outfield. He is versatile!

Tom's Time with the Mariners

Murphy’s best seasons with Seattle occurred in 2022 and 2023. In 2021, he played catcher in only 14 games but managed to hit 11 home runs and had an OPS of .894. In 2023, he played in 47 games, hitting eight home runs with an OPS of .873. He struggled with injuries during both seasons. In 2022, Tom had a dislocated shoulder. In 2023, Tom sprained his thumb and fractured it in August and did not return for the rest of the season.

Murph could be crazy at times and excelled at dumping Gatorade or water over successful players post-games, I know he worked and played hard. He was a leader on and off the field. Tom is happy that he will be playing with his good friend, Mitch Haniger, in San Francisco. Tom, we are grateful for your years as a Mariner and wish you the best in San Francisco!