Chris Murphy

Murphy made his major-league debut in 2023 as a multi-inning reliever and achieved a level of success in Boston that he did not have as a starter at Triple-A Worcester. In nine starts for the WooSox, Murphy recorded an 8.35 ERA with 25 walks over 36.2 innings before the lefty was moved to the bullpen. That move to 'pen - he did not allow a run and had just one walk over seven innings - helped set up his mid-summer promotion. For the Red Sox, he had a 4.91 ERA (3.69 FIP) over 47.2 innings (20 appearances). That stretch, however, was heavily influenced by two bad outings. More importantly, Murphy dropped his walk rate from 5.3 BB/9 in the minors to 3.2 in the majors. The Red Sox made pitching an offseason priority, and Murphy is not a lock for a bullpen spot, but he should repeat that role whether he opens at Worcester or Boston.