Report: SF Giants have called A’s about trading for catcher Sean Murphy

The SF Giants have had conversations with the Oakland Athletics about acquiring Gold Glove catcher Sean Murphy in a trade.

The SF Giants may be hoping to acquire one of the few remaining stars on their crosstown rivals, the Oakland Athletics. The Giants have called the A's to discuss a trade involving catcher Sean Murphy, according to a report by San Francisco Chronicle Giants beat writer Susan Slusser. Murphy is one of the few remaining above-average players on Oakland's roster and is expected to be traded by many in and around the industry.

Could Oakland A's catcher Sean Murphy be celebrating with the SF Giants next season? (2022) / Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports

"Another A’s player has piqued the Giants’ interest," Slusser wrote. "According to multiple sources, San Francisco has called about catcher Sean Murphy, who is expected to come at a steep price: some big-league players and a top prospect or two, though Oakland has not asked for San Francisco’s best young pitcher, Kyle Harrison."

Originally drafted by the A's in the third round of the 2016 MLB Draft out of Wright State, Murphy has spent his entire career in Oakland's organization. Already known for his excellent defense behind the plate, Murphy emerged as one of the team's best prospects after proving he could hit at the professional level.

Murphy made his big-league debut in 2019, hitting .245/.333/.566 with three home runs in 20 games to close out the season. He solidified himself as the team's everyday catcher in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, recording a .233/.364/.457 triple-slash.

Over the past two seasons, Murphy has won a Gold Glove and received votes for the 2022 American League MVP award. While his .236/.321/.417 line is somewhat unexceptional, it is noticeably better than the .226/.295/.367 triple-slash that MLB catchers posted last season. In fact, given his defensive value, Murphy recorded 5.1 fWAR in 2022 and 3.3 fWAR in 2021. Thairo Estrada led Giants' position players in 2022 with 2.7 fWAR.

On top of Murphy's high-end play, he is also under team control via arbitration for the next three seasons. He is estimated to receive just a $3.5 million salary for 2023. While that should empower the A's to invest elsewhere to strengthen their team, the expectation is Oakland will trade Murphy for even cheaper prospects.

Slusser's report suggests the A's are hoping to acquire big-league young talent in exchange for Murphy alongside some high-upside prospects. While the Giants MLB roster is on the older side, players like Joey Bart, David Villar, Luis Gonzalez, Sean Hjelle, Sam Long, Thomas Szapucki, and Cole Waites could all fit that description. Thairo Estrada would fit the bill as well, especially if the Giants sign a top shortstop in free agency, but he only has one more year under team control than Murphy.

Since Slusser's report says the A's have not asked for Kyle Harrison that seems to imply they have asked about San Francisco's best position-player prospect Marco Luciano. While Murphy is an excellent player, trading Luciano alongside an MLB piece would be a hefty premium. The Giants would probably try to use prospects like Luis Matos, Grant McCray, or Eric Silva, who are further away from the majors.

The SF Giants will have to find some other big acquisitions this offseason after losing the Aaron Judge sweepstakes. Per Slusser's reporting, it seems like president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi might have his eye on adding A's catcher Sean Murphy in a major trade.