Giants cut ties with $4 million catcher via contract decision

The San Francisco Giants have moved on from one of their potential catcher options in 2026.

While it's fair to expect Patrick Bailey to be the main backstop, a good No. 2 catcher can be crucial for a winning team. The Giants won't be using Tom Murphy in that role, though.

Late Monday, the Giants declined a team option on Murphy that would've paid him $4 million in 2026, according to NBC Sports Bay Area's Alex Pavlovic.

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Murphy was actually with the Giants organization for the last two seasons but suited up for just 13 games total at the MLB level due to injury.

When the Giants brought Murphy aboard before the 2024 season, it seemed like a smart move.

He batted .303 in 2022 and .290 in 2023 for the Mariners. And previously in Colorado, he had displayed solid power.

His career OPS in the majors is .757, which is great for a catcher.

Murphy just couldn't stay on the field, though.

He'll head into free agency now, and given his recent injury history, will probably have to settle for a minor-league contract with an invite to spring training.

Whether that comes from the Giants or not remains to be seen.

Murphy is 34 years old now. He's had a long baseball journey, from Central Square High School outside Syracuse, N.Y., to the University of Buffalo, to the Rockies and Mariners and now Giants.

Catching depth is always in demand, so Murphy will get a contract. But the Giants decided he wasn't worth the $4 million to keep around.

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