MURPHY MOVES TO THE CUBS
The Chicago Cubs acquired infielder Daniel Murphy from the Washington Nationals for infielder Andruw Monasterio and a player to be named later or cash considerations.
What does it give the Chicago Cubs
In Murphy, the Cubs land a versatile left-handed hitter who can play second, third and also first base. He provides the contending Cubs with plenty of lineup options down the stretch (and in the playoffs). He has postseason experience too, which is an added benefit here.
What does it give the Washington Nationals
For Washington, this is a tell-tale sign that the club is ready to retool (if not rebuild completely) the roster. Murphy is set to become a free agent this winter, so the Nationals were at least able to land two assets for him before season's end. Monasterio can play both shortstop and second base but is not much of an offensive threat.
Fantasy impact
Murphy could give fantasy leaguers a bit of a late-season boost now that he is back with a contending team in the National League. As for Monasterio, he is off the fantasy radar until further notice. This deal may bite into the fantasy impact of either Javier Baez or Addison Russell (or both) from a Cubs perspective down the stretch.
