Cubs Claim Daniel Murphy & That’s Okay.

Milwaukee Brewers fans are in a huff yet again. Yes, I know, it’s a shocking surprise. Brewers win two straight games and go for a third tonight. People are upset that Daniel Murphy is a member of the Chicago Cubs now after being claimed off waivers from the Washington Nationals. People are furious the Brewers didn’t make a waiver claim on him to block Chicago, even though, he has no real purpose on Milwaukee’s roster. Murphy joins a loaded Cubs lineup for the stretch run, and there is a great deal of revisionist history happening among Brewers’ fans.
There’s a great deal to unpack with the Murphy claim. The first being that Jonathan Schoop has not been a solid addition to this team. He’s been dreadful and one of the worst trade deadline pickups in the 2018 season. Brewers General Manager David Stearns can still redeem himself with this move if Schoop turns it on in September, but it’s looking like an L for him. Still, the deal wasn’t a bad one. Luis Ortiz did not have a good year and is dealing with weight problems, Jonathan Villar didn’t mesh with the Brewers for whatever reason then they have a lottery ticket to the Orioles. Did the Cubs get Murphy for less? Yes, that’s usually how it works in the August waiver game, but it’s not like the Pittsburgh deal for Chris Archer.
Also, no one could have seen the Nationals selling off their entire team at the August waiver deadline. Mike Rizzo and the Nationals brass hoped for one more big run in August, and it never came. Washington is the most disappointing team in baseball, and they began to sell the farm as much as they could before the new season. Good news for Milwaukee is they play these Nationals four times next weekend, and they’ll be without Daniel Murphy or Matt Adams who was dealt to the St. Louis Cardinals.
Murphy isn’t a good all-around player. He has a hot bat right how (Oh much like someone else in this article before they got traded) but he’s a putrid second baseman. He’s been a negative UZR fielder for the last seven years. With Anthony Rizzo at first, Murphy will play mostly at second and maybe some at third yet there’s no guarantees he will be perfect at either spot defensively. Truth be told, Adams to the Cardinals is a better move and more worrisome move as the Cardinals increase their left-handed power in a major way.
Brewers cannot get every player available. Fans need to realize this and let things happen as they come around for this team. With more and more people questioning Stearns, it’s become a baseball version of Ted Thompson where they’re challenging his methods because they aren’t working to the way the fan wants it. My guess is those people will continue to get louder and louder.
Charlie.