Chris Murphy has been called on to work in multi-inning roles and matchup situations.
He also has professional experience as a starter.
“The versatility was attractive,” Chicago White Sox general manager Chris Getz said during a videoconference call Wednesday. “We haven’t decided on how we’re going to use him, but the fact that there’s different options with him made him just that much more attractive.”
The White Sox acquired the left-hander in a trade with the Red Sox on Tuesday, sending minor-league catcher Ronny Hernández to Boston.
It was part of an active day of moves for the White Sox, who also dealt starter Yoendrys Gómez and reliever Steven Wilson to the Tampa Bay Rays for outfielder Everson Pereira and infielder Tanner Murray.
Murphy, 27, went 3-0 with a 3.12 ERA in 23 relief appearances for the Red Sox in 2025. He had 30 strikeouts and 20 walks while holding opponents to a .172 average in 34 2/3 innings. Murphy also had a 2.93 ERA in 18 games (five starts) with Triple-A Worcester, Double-A Portland and Class A Greenville.
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He has a 4.15 ERA in 43 career relief outings over two seasons (2023, 2025) with the Red Sox.
“He had the 2024 Tommy John (surgery), in 2025 he still had a solid year,” Getz said. “Oftentimes with recovery of Tommy John, there could be some command that comes later than the actual stuff. And we recognize that.
“But at the very least, when you stack him up against what we have we felt like he would insert nicely, knowing that there’s some more ceiling in there.”
Hernández, 21, slashed .251/.344/.336 with four home runs and 34 RBIs in 82 games for Class A Kannapolis in 2025.
Gómez went 2-2 with a 4.84 ERA in 12 outings (nine starts) for the White Sox in 2025. He also spent time with the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers in 2025.
Wilson was part of the 2024 trade that sent pitcher Dylan Cease to the San Diego Padres. He went 2-2 with a 3.42 ERA in 59 relief outings in 2025.
Pereira, 24, appeared in 23 games with the Rays in 2025, going 9-for-65 (.138) with two home runs, eight RBIs, seven walks and seven runs. He also hit 21 home runs in 78 games between Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in the Yankees system and Triple-A Durham in the Rays organization.
He has a .146/.227/.215 career slash line with two home runs and 18 RBIs in 50 major-league games over two seasons with the Yankees (2023) and Rays (2025).
Getz said Pereira is a “premium position player with big power.”
“Just getting his major-league career started as he’s just getting acclimated to the big leagues,” Getz said.
Murray, 26, slashed .241/.299/.400 with 18 home runs and 58 RBIs in 137 games for Durham in 2025. He made 42 starts at third base, 31 at shortstop, 26 at second base, 18 in right field, 15 in left field, three as a designated hitter and two in center field during the season.
“To be able to acquire him and add him to the 40-man (roster) is something that excites us as we look to bring in as many premium position versatile players as we can,” Getz said.
White Sox add 2 pitchers to 40-man roster
The White Sox added right-handed pitchers Duncan Davitt and Tanner McDougal to the 40-man roster and placed left-handed pitcher Fraser Ellard on the voluntary retired list Tuesday.
McDougal, 22, went 3-5 with a 3.26 ERA and 136 strikeouts in 28 starts for High A Winston-Salem and Double-A Birmingham.
“It was awesome getting the call and being able to mark off one of those goals that I kind of set out for myself last year,” McDougal said in a videoconference call Wednesday.
He is the No. 7 prospect in the Sox system, according to MLB.com.
“He really put himself on the map as a top arm in the industry on the minor-league side,” Getz said.
The Sox acquired Davitt along with infielder Curtis Mead and right-hander Ben Peoples in the July 31 trade that sent pitcher Adrian Houser to the Rays.
Davitt, 26, had a combined 7-8 record and a 4.38 ERA with 150 strikeouts in 28 starts for Double-A Montgomery and Durham in the Rays’ organization and for Triple-A Charlotte in the Sox system.
“He’s someone that we feel like is versatile,” Getz said. “(He) can give us starter innings, can pitch in the bullpen if need be, both in a multi-inning role, but also at a higher leverage knowing that his stuff is there, he has weapons for both sides.”
Tuesday was the deadline for teams to add to their 40-man rosters and protect eligible players from the Rule 5 draft.
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Ellard, 28, went 1-2 with a 4.24 ERA in 18 appearances (three starts) during three stints with the Sox in 2025. He reached out to Getz recently to inform him of his decision.
“Oftentimes, when players come to me looking to retire, and most often I had those conversations as a farm director more than as a general manager, if I know that it’s a well thought out decision, it’s not my job to convince someone to continue playing Major League Baseball, professional baseball,” Getz said.
“I thanked him. I let him know I enjoyed getting to know him and he was a very strong reputation within our organization and that if he needs anything in the future, we are here for him and wished him well.”