Atlanta Braves fans reflect on financial decision to sign Sean Murphy over J.T. Realmuto: "I would rather have JT and it’s not even close"
While J.T. Realmuto is one of the best offensive catchers in baseball, Sean Murphy is considered an up-and-comer. Would you rather have Realmuto of the Philadelphia Phillies at $23.1 million per year, or Murphy of the Atlanta Braves at $12.1 million a season? The question was posed on Tuesday by MLB Insider Mark Bowman.
Maybe Murphy isn't quite at Realmuto's elite level. But entering 2023, would you rather have a 28-year-old Murphy at $12.2M per year or a 31-year-old Realmuto at $23.1M per year. Their talents are much closer than their AAVs might suggest.
Bowman's musings set off a firestorm of debate in the Twitterverse. MLB fans weighed in with all sorts of opinions. While some supported Bowman, others disagreed with the MLB.com writer.
The debate took a number of forms, with some asking "does it matter if it's not your money" while others decrying the Braves' recent trend of signing players to long-term contracts that keep the working man "down."
What we are not going to do is equate paychecks with talent. This is capitalism brain and let’s just not do this. twitter.com/mlbbowman/stat…
I’d rather have realmuto who is a proven quality and has been worth every penny. Thanks. Also cheering the Braves exploiting the system that puts down workers is disgusting twitter.com/mlbbowman/stat…
In a league with no salary cap, this is the worst possible way to frame this argument since fans should not care one iota about how much a player makes compared to others. twitter.com/mlbbowman/stat…
Many saw immediate ties between today's current "J.T. Realmuto or Sean Murphy" debate and another discussion not long ago when the New York Mets chose to save on signing Brian McCann rather than ponying up for Realmuto.
While Phillies fans have largely been ecstatic about Realmuto playing for their team, the Mets are reportedly aching to get McCann out of their club and are willing to trade him away for next to nothing.
Mets fans said this about McCann too twitter.com/mlbbowman/stat…
@mlbbowman This seems like the same logic the Mets used when they signed James McCann over Realmuto several years ago. Giving 6 year contracts to 28yo catchers seems risky, esp when you consider he was under team control anyway for the next 3 years.
Remember when people did this same dance comparing James McCann and JT? twitter.com/mlbbowman/stat…
For many fans, they don't care how much their team spends, they just want superior talent on their side. While Murphy may be a solid player for the Braves, Realmuto is a three-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger and two-time Gold Glove winner. Murphy has one Gold Glove in five fewer MLB seasons.
I would rather have JT and it’s not even close lmao twitter.com/mlbbowman/stat…
I mean I’d rather have the better player lol. twitter.com/mlbbowman/stat…
Give me JT all day. Murphy can’t hit a beach ball twitter.com/mlbbowman/stat…
Of course, baseball is still a business. As much as many fans would love to ignore the business aspect of the game, it's still very much a part of the American pastime. In an era of multi-million dollar contracts that boggles the mind, who doesn't love a bargain?
I love comparing players like they’re used cars, teams getting bargains is definitely the best part of baseball twitter.com/mlbbowman/stat…
Would you rather have J.T. Realmuto or Sean Murphy?
J.T. Realmuto's greatness is undeniable. In nine major league seasons spent with the Miami Marlins and Philadelphia Phillies, he is batting .275 with 134 home runs and 515 RBIs, all while playing above-average defense. He costs more, but is older.
Sean Murphy has largely played himself into the MLB consciousness in the past year. His offensive stats pale in comparison to Realmuto's: a .236 average, 46 homers and 147 RBIs over five seasons. However, those numbers have been trending upward since his big-league debut in 2019.
Still, the question stands. If you were compiling a major-league budget, which player would you rather have behind the plate: J.T. Realmuto or Sean Murphy?