SF Giants finally rid themselves of major Farhan Zaidi blunder after two seasons

The SF Giants cycled through three different backup catchers in 2025 – Sam Huff, Logan Porter and Andrew Knizner – each of whom put up subpar numbers at the dish. One notable name who did not figure into that rotation was Tom Murphy, despite the two-year, $8.25 million contract he signed with the team prior to the 2024 season. That contract also included a $4 million club option for 2026, which the Giants have now officially declined in favor of a $250,000 buyout.

Through the entire life of his contract, Murphy appeared in just 13 games in 2024, slashing a paltry .118/.211/.235 in that span. A left knee sprain on May 4th (Star Wars Day) of that year ended his season, but this year it was a herniated disk in his back that kept him from suiting up even once. He will now have to settle for a minor-league deal on the open market, or just as likely, he may have to call it a career.

SF Giants decline option on catcher Tom Murphy after forgettable tenure

As it turns out, it wasn’t just the organization and its fans who were praying for Murphy to go away. Murphy called the Giants’ handling of his injury an “absolute nightmare”, as he claimed team doctors committed malpractice by initially misdiagnosing his injury as an oblique strain and letting him exacerbate the condition in spring training. It was undoubtedly a frustrating year for Murphy health-wise as he never even got close to a rehab assignment by the end of the year, and now his time with the team is over.

Murphy was known as a bat-first catcher dating back to his time with the Mariners, but he’s been known as an injury-prone player for his entire career. His 116 wRC+ in parts of four seasons with the Mariners was enough for former president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi to offer him a multi-year deal to back up Bailey. Hindsight is 20-20, but it’s easy to see now that Zaidi bet on the wrong horse, as Joey Bart went on to see much more success after being traded to the Pirates.

With both Murphy and Bart out of the picture, the Giants are once again seeking out an upgrade to backup Gold Glove winner Bailey. They may leave it up to a mix of Knizner, Jesus Rodriguez and a minor-leaguer or two to battle it out in Spring Training, but more worthwhile upgrades are out there should Posey and Co. decide to be more aggressive.

Starting-caliber options like Adley Rutschman and Iván Herrera will see their names in the rumor mill a lot this offseason, while J.T. Realmuto and Gary Sánchez are available on the free agent market. Whichever route the Giants decide to go, Murphy’s departure appears to be a case of addition by subtraction.