David Murphy, the Indians’ regular right fielder this past season, was relegated to a bench role following the team’s acquisition of Brandon Moss in a trade with the Athletics last week. As a result, Terry Pluto of The Plain Dealer expects the Indians to “work hard” to move Murphy.
Murphy, 33, will earn $6 million in 2015 and will become eligible for free agency after the season. Moss, on the other hand, is entering his third year of arbitration and won’t become a free agent until after the 2016 season.
Murphy had a solid season for the Indians, batting .262/.319/.385 with eight home runs and 58 RBI, but there’s no question about who provides more upside offensively. Despite a labrum injury which limited his second-half production, Moss was still able to belt 25 home runs.
