Hours after sending reliever Luis Guerrero to the Rays for infielder Tristan Gray, the Red Sox swung another deal Tuesday.
Boston shipped left-handed pitcher Chris Murphy to the White Sox in exchange for minor-league catcher Ronny Hernandez, sources confirmed.
Murphy, 27, returned from Tommy John surgery to pitch pretty well for the Red Sox in 2025, logging a 3.12 ERA and striking out 30 batters in 34 ⅔ innings. The former sixth-round pick (2019) made 43 big league appearances between 2023 and 2025, with all of them coming in relief. He owns a career 5.48 ERA in 149 ⅓ innings at Triple-A.
Hernandez, 21, is a bat-first catcher who has spent the last two seasons with the White Sox’ Single-A affiliate in Kannapolis. He played 82 games last year and hit .251 with four homers, 12 doubles and a .679 OPS. Hernandez had good offensive seasons in 2022 and 2023 in rookie ball and the Arizona Complex League while showing signs of struggle defensively throughout his minor league career. He’s not on MLB Pipeline’s list of the White Sox’ top 30 prospects but fills a need in the minors for the Red Sox, who don’t have much in the way of prospects behind the plate.
Trading Murphy depletes Boston’s left-handed relief depth as the offseason begins. Veterans Steven Matz and Justin Wilson are free agents after pitching in late-game roles down the stretch ahead of closer Aroldis Chapman, who will return to man the ninth in 2026. Brennan Bernardino and Jovani Morán remain on the 40-man roster as potential left-handed relief options. The Red Sox are expected to be active in that market in free agency, too.
The flurry of moves Tuesday came in advance of MLB’s deadline for teams to add prospects to the 40-man roster and protect them from being taken in next month’s Rule 5 draft. The Red Sox added pitchers Shane Drohan, David Sandlin and Tyler Uberstine, and therefore needed to clear three 40-man roster spots, plus one more to acquire Gray from Tampa Bay. Boston did so by designating Nathaniel Lowe and Josh Winckowski for assignment and including Murphy in the trade with Chicago. The final corresponding move is unknown.
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
