Nine years ago, Mike Rizzo finalized one of the greatest free agent deals in Nats history
Nine years ago today, Daniel Murphy was introduced to the media as the newest member of the Washington Nationals, after agreeing to a three-year $37.5 million contract. The deal would be more successful than any Nats fan could have imagined at the time. Murphy would transform himself into one of the best hitters in baseball during the 2016 and 2017 seasons.
Murphy was not the Nationals first choice, in fact he was far from it. The first option was veteran Ben Zobrist. However, Zobrist ended up joining the Cubs on a four-year $56 million deal. The next option was longtime Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips. This deal was very close to happening, but Phillips refused to waive his no-trade clause.
Finally, the Nationals pivoted to Murphy, who they ended up signing. Murphy had raised his stock massively during a monster postseason run, where his seven home runs led the Mets to an NL pennant. There were some concerns at the time about whether the postseason run had overinflated Murphy’s value, but the Nats ended up pulling the trigger.
It ended up being a very wise move, as Murphy’s playoff performance was a sign of things to come, rather than an aberration. Murphy had been a good hitter with the Mets, but did not possess a lot of power. However, he had made some tweaks to his swing with future Nationals hitting coach Kevin Long that unlocked some extra power.
With those tweaks, Murphy would have one of the best hitting seasons in Nationals history in 2016. He was in a flow state that was just special to watch. It felt like he got multiple hits every game during some parts of the season. Murphy put up absurd numbers in his first season in DC. He posted a ridiculous .347/.390/.595 triple slash line, with a NL leading .985 OPS. Murphy hit a career high 25 home runs and 47 doubles.
In particular, he absolutely terrorized his former team that season. In 2016, Murphy hit .414, with seven home runs and a 1.218 OPS against the Mets. Every time he came to the plate, Murphy was out to prove that the Mets made an awful decision to let him walk. Murphy’s special season led to an All-Star appearance, a Silver Slugger, and a second place finish in MVP voting.
While he did not reach the same breathtaking heights in 2017, Murphy remained one of the best hitters in the National League. Murphy posted an impressive .928 OPS, with 23 home runs, 43 doubles, and a .322 batting average. He remained a menace against the Mets, hitting .354 with a 1.040 OPS against them. Murphy was once again an All-Star, and Silver Slugger in 2017.
By 2018, injuries and aging began to slow Murphy down. With the Nationals having a disappointing season, Murphy was shipped off to the Cubs. This marked the end of his wonderful tenure as a National.
That two year stretch was one of the most dominant I have ever seen from a National. Murphy had the sweetest swing I have seen from a National. He could make contact with everything, and could drive pitches he had no business getting to. Murphy could turn on inside pitches, while using the whole field. It was truly a joy to watch. When Daniel Murphy was at the plate, it was like watching an artist.