The Angels lost one of their more dependable bullpen arms in the Chase Silseth deal with the Texas Rangers, but they didn’t wait long to backfill the spot. Luke Murphy is getting the call to the 40-man roster, a move reported by Anthony Franco of MLBTradeRumors.com and tied to reporting from Taylor Blake Ward of Baseball America.
It’s one piece of a larger roster shuffle for Los Angeles, which still has two more open spots and figures to keep moving pieces around before the trade deadline on Aug. 3. For now, Murphy steps into the mix after a strong run at Double-A Rocket City.
Murphy, 26, was drafted by the Angels in the fourth round in 2021 after pitching at Vanderbilt. He went unselected in last year’s Rule 5 draft after giving up 48 runs in 45-1/3 minor league innings, but this season has been a different story. The 6’5’ right-hander has posted a 0.71 ERA over 38 innings in 34 appearances, and he’s handled the closer role for Rocket City with 18 saves in 20 chances.
The strikeout and walk numbers help explain why the Angels are taking the shot. Murphy has punched out 32 percent of the hitters he’s faced while walking just seven percent. He’s older than most Double-A pitchers, so he’s still not viewed as a premium prospect, but the velocity has been sitting in the mid-90s and the performance has forced the issue.
Los Angeles is skipping Triple-A with him, though that level gave him trouble last season when he had a disastrous 23-run outing. Instead, the Angels will see what he can do in their bullpen right away.
And they may need more than just Murphy. The Angels are expected to lose impending free agents Kirby Yates and Brent Suter by Monday’s deadline, and they’re also evaluating Ryan Zeferjahn for his swing-and-miss ability, even if getting outs has been a more uneven proposition. Samy Natera Jr. is already on their radar too, and he could push right-hander Jose Fermin, who is 24.
It’s not an ideal setup, but that’s where the Angels are. They still have a lot of games left, and the bullpen they’re trying to patch together could end up looking even thinner before long.
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