UPDATE:
Source: Murphy deal with #Nationals is three years, $37.5M. Again, pending physical.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 25, 2015
-----
Daniel Murphy will reportedly be the third top position player to sign an MLB contract this offseason. The latest rumors indicate the Washington Nationals have agreed to a contract with the former New York Mets infielder.
ESPN's Jim Bowden is reporting the Nats and Murphy have agreed to a three-year deal and FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal notes the transaction is pending a physical.
Last week rumors suggested the Nationals were trying to work out a trade for Cincinnati Reds second baseman Brandon Phillips, but the veteran reportedly wanted an extension to his current contract in order to waive his 10-5 no-trade rights. Bill Ladson of MLB.com also reported the Nats were interested in Murphy as they continued keeping their options open in their search for a second baseman.
Murphy's historic offensive performance in the postseason was expected to boost his value in the offseason, as some projected him to sign a five-year deal. However, the market for position players (beyond Jason Heyward and Ben Zobrist) has not yet taken shape despite the many talented names out there.
Murphy, 30, has spent seven MLB seasons with the Mets and batted .281/.322/.449 with 56 runs scored, 14 home runs and 73 RBI in 130 games this past season (his contract year). During the Mets' run to the World Series, Murphy hit .328/.391/.724 with 13 runs scored, 7 home runs and 11 RBI in his first 14 playoff games.
Stay tuned for updates regarding the financials as well as an official announcement.
