Before the St. Louis Cardinals signed Wilson Contreras, they had trade discussions with the Oakland Athletics over catcher Sean Murphy. With those trade discussions now off the table, the Athletics' asking price for Murphy has been revealed.
Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch recently reported on numerous aspects of the Cardinals' offseason. He noted how that while St. Louis had interest in Murphy, team officials felt the Athletics were asking for too much.
“The Athletics sought a return of outfielder Lars Nootbaar, Gold Glove-winner Brendan Donovan, and a power young pitcher like Gordon Graceffo in exchange for Murphy and three years of control, according to a source with knowledge of the talks,” Good reported.
Talk of Murphy's trade availability had been widely reported, with numerous teams interested. Murphy has hit .236 over his four-year MLB career, adding 46 home runs and 147 RBI. He also won a Gold Glove in 2021.
Despite the Cardinals interest and having to battle other teams for Murphy's services, the Cardinals preferred their own guys. Clearly they felt with those young players and Contreras the team remains in a position to compete for the foreseeable future.
Donovan might be the most well-known player, after winning a Gold Glove in 2022. He also hit .281 with five home runs and 45 RBI. Nootbar made his MLB debut in 2021 and has appeared in 166 total games. He holds a career .231 average with 19 home runs and 55 RBI. Graceffo is ranked as the Cardinals third-best prospect by MLB Pipeline.
The Cardinals have found their catcher of the future in Contreras. However, if the Athletics didn't ask for so much, there's a chance Sean Murphy would be playing for the Redbirds.
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