Matt Murton, a right-handed hitting outfielder now playing for the Hanshin Tigers in Japan, is the answer to a great trivia question: Name the other player the Red Sox gave up in the blockbuster 2004 deal involving Nomar Garciaparra.
He was drafted 32nd by the Red Sox in 2003, three slots behind Carlos Quentin and ahead of Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Adam Jones and Andre Ethier. Murton played just 155 games in the Red Sox organization before the trade, but during that time he exhibited the ability to get on base that has been the hallmark of his career.
In 2006, Murton became the Cubs‘ starting left fielder. In August of that year, Murton went 4-for-4 with four doubles and five RBIs in a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, tying the major league mark for doubles in a single game. At the end of the year, his .297 batting average was second on the team to catcher Michael Barrett’s .307. Murton also had 13 home runs and 62 runs batted in. He became a bit of a cult hero in Chicago and earned the nickname “Thunder Matt.”
Unfortunately for Murton, the Cubs were seeking more power in their outfield; bringing in Cliff Floyd and Alfonso Soriano left little room for Murton. Over the next couple of years, the former Georgia Tech outfielder bounced through the A’s and Rockies organizations, never getting enough action to merit a full-time major league job. By the end of 2009, his stat line read: .286/.352/.436 in 1,058 MLB plate appearances.
According to Anna Katherine Clemmons of ESPN.com, Murton believed that if he could play full time, getting at-bats every day, he could show what he could do. He realized that the only way to do that would be to go to Japan. In 2010, he signed with the Hanshin Tigers of the NPB, the highest Japanese professional league.
As a rookie in Japan he became only the fourth player in Nippon Professional Baseball history to have a 200-hit season. On October 5, 2010, Murton broke Ichiro Suzuki’s single-season hit record with his 211th hit (Suzuki’s record of 210 was set in 130 games; Murton finished with 214 hits in 144 games).
Not surprisingly, he won the NPB batting title that year with a .349 average. He also contributed 17 home runs and 91 RBIs to go along with an on-base percentage of .395, a .499 slugging percentage and an .894 OPS.
He continued to hit well in 2011, his option year, and Hanshin wants him back. But every indication is that Murton hopes that his performance in Japan has earned him another shot at MLB.
According to Clemmons, “Murton credited his consistency at the plate not to facing different pitchers but rather to his opportunity to hit every day.”
Baseball experts agree that the talent level in Japan is somewhere between AAA and MLB. Murton has made his point, and there is little doubt that he could now improve upon his MLB career line of .286/.352/.436 in 1,058 MLB plate appearances.
Bottom line: He’s an on-base machine, and there are a lot of similarities with Wade Boggs—another talented hitter who languished in the minors for several years before being given his chance.
With the powerful Red Sox lineup surrounding him, Murton’s ability to constantly get on base could make him an intriguing option as a fourth outfielder, if not the everyday right fielder.
While Murton will not equal Boggs’ Hall of Fame 162-game average stat line of .328 with a .415 on base percentage, he does have greater power potential than Boggs, who averaged eight HR and 67 RBI per season.
Murton does have a shot at equaling or exceeding Boggs’ .443 slugging percentage and .858 OPS. In addition, he would not require a large contract; he earned $1.5 million in Japan this year.
Murton certainly seems to have more upside than Darnell McDonald, and he could very well give the Reddick/Kalish duo a battle for the right field slot.
New Red Sox GM Ben Cherington has expressed an interest in low-risk signings this off season. Matt Murton should be at the top of that list.
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