FORT MYERS. Fla. -- What seemed a foregone conclusion for some time now -- that David Murphy would not be able to crack the Red Sox 25-man roster for Opening Day -- was confirmed once and for all Monday, as the Red Sox notified him that he was being granted free agency.
On Sunday, Murphy exercised the opt-out clause in his minor league deal, giving the Red Sox 48 hours to either add him to the 25-man roster or allow him to go elsewhere.
As Murphy packed his belongings in the clubhouse following the Red Sox' 5-3 loss to Baltimore, he was asked where he would go from here.
"We'll see,'' he said. "I wish I knew. I hope that there's offers out there; I think there will be. But obviously, there's no guarantee. We'll see.''
Murphy hit .265 in Grapefruit League play, enabling him to "still show that I'm a capable big-league player. I didn't go out and light it up, but I think I did enough. I had a better spring than I've had the last two. As I've become an older player, as is the case with a lot of guys, it's hard to get up for a spring training game.
"Once the regular season starts and the lights turn on, then the focus locks in a little bit more. You get the adrenaline flow and your body gets ready for a big league game a lot simpler. There was some of that spring because I knew I had to have a good showing to end up somewhere.''
The Sox have two outfielders set in center (Jackie Bradley Jr.) and in right (Mookie Betts), with Rusney Castillo, Brock Holt and Chris Young sharing playing time in left.
That left Murphy with an uphill roster battle right from the first day he arrived in camp.
"I think as a man, you're disappointed,'' he said, "because as an athlete, I'm a competitor. You never want to go in a manager's office and (have him tell you) that you've been released. But there's a lot of positives to it, too. Maybe there's a little disappointment to it, but I'm not distraught in any way. I think my career will move forward from here.''
The challenge for Murphy now is to catch on elsewhere as other teams attempt to cut down to 25.
He's hasn't completely ruled out taking a minor league spot elsewhere if there's a path toward the big leagues -- the Red Sox offered to have him at Pawtucket -- but he'll have to think about that.
"I don't want to give a definitive answer on that,'' he said. "But being at the point that I am -- I'm 34 years old, I haven't played in the minor leagues since 2007, I have four kids now -- I'm pulled in a lot of different directions. If I didn't get a big league job, my mindset is leaning toward retirement. Hopefully, that's not part of the (decision-making) process.''