6:05 p.m. ET: Catcher Ronny Hernandez is the piece going back to Boston. The 21-year-old spent the season in Single-A, hitting .251 with four home runs. 

5:55 p.m. ET: In a day full of transactions, the Boston Red Sox dealt left-handed pitcher Chris Murphy to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday afternoon.

Bob Nightengale of USA Today had the report:

As of this posting, the return for the Red Sox is not known. Britt Ghiroli of The Athletic reports they are getting a catcher.

About Murphy

Now 27 years old, Murphy was drafted in the sixth round of the 2019 MLB Draft out of San Diego. He made his debut in 2023 and owns a 4-2 career record in 43 games. Exclusively used as a reliever, he pitched well in 2025, going 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA. He pitched in 23 games, striking out 30 batters.

Why would the Red Sox do this? 

Clearly, the Red Sox don't have plans for Murphy moving forward, and with Tuesday being the deadline to protect players from the Rule-5 Draft, perhaps Boston wanted the 40-man roster spot for someone else.

Despite that, it's a tough break for the organization, and losing MLB-caliber lefties out of the bullpen is always a tough thing. The Red Sox have an interesting group of depth arms and obviously felt like they could make due without Murphy. They also dealt right-hander Luis Guerrero on Tuesday, sending him to the Tampa Bay Rays.

Why would Chicago do this? 

After finishing last in the American League Central again, Chicago is just out searching for any talent that can help. Under control through 2029, perhaps Murphy can help stabilize their bullpen as they look to turn toward a competitive organization again.

He could also be a trade piece for them come next July if he pitches well.

There's also a chance that the White Sox could give him an opportunity to start, as they are in dire need of rotation help.

Organizational trade history

These two teams have linked up quite a bit over the last several years, even completing multiple big trades.

Before the 2017 season, the Red Sox acquired Chris Sale from Chicago for prospects Yoan Moncada and Michael Kopech. Sale was one of the best pitchers in baseball for Boston from 2017-19, helping the Red Sox win the World Series in 2018. Injuries set in at the end of 2019 and the Red Sox traded him to Atlanta before the 2024 campaign, where he promptly won the Cy Young Award.

The two teams dealt with one another again last offseason, with the Red Sox picking up Garrett Crochet, who finished second in the Cy Young voting in 2025.

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