Adios Max Slugger chooses Mexico over Goldeyes By: Joshua Frey-Sam Posted: 5:01 PM CDT Wednesday, Apr. 3, 2024 Last Modified: 5:55 PM CDT Wednesday, Apr. 3, 2024 Updates

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Max Murphy has sided with warmer weather and a heavier wallet, for now.

The Winnipeg Goldeyes star outfielder will crush baseballs in Mexico this summer after signing a deal to play with Saraperos de Saltillo of the Mexican Baseball League. He put pen to paper back in November while playing with Mayos de Navojoa in the Mexican Pacific Winter League.

While the decision to remain south comes with its drawbacks, the 31-year-old acknowledged he’s in the late innings of his playing career and needs consider life after he hangs up the cleats.

“The pay is significantly better here and, especially for me, I’ve been in the (American Association) for six years. I guess a lot of people don’t realize you don’t get paid that much, especially if you haven’t been around for a while and you’re not really good,” said Murphy, who spent the last three seasons in Winnipeg.

“So, getting older, you gotta make some more money so you have something for starting out life after baseball.”

Murphy is one of many players from the 12-team American Association who will stay south.

Mexico is historically a popular destination during the winter season but loses most of its Canadian and American players by summer owing to teams being permitted to roster seven import players.

This season, the Mexican league allows teams to carry up to 20 imports, which has pulled many veteran players from the AA as they seek a larger payday.

“The pay is significantly better here and, especially for me, I’ve been in the (American Association) for six years.”–Max Murphy

Goldeyes manager Logan Watkins understands the draw, as he did the same thing during his playing days. It’s certainly made his job more difficult as he scours a bleak free agency market for a good fit in his lineup.

“I think we’ve seen that with the signings that the league has had this year, it’s definitely gotten younger,” Watkins said.

“I think a lot of it too is the approach that (MLB) affiliated teams have now because it used to be if you were 26 or 27 years old, you still had a pretty good chance to get picked back up by an affiliated team and go to double-A or triple-A. The best place for that to happen is the American Association or independent baseball, and not Mexico, but now that you see 26 and 27-year-old guys are considered old…

“I think they’re collectively saying, ‘Since I’m not going to get picked up, independent ball is probably not the best option for me — I need to go make as much money as possible because my time in baseball is winding down.’”

Murphy arrived in the Manitoba capital after spending parts of three seasons with the St. Paul Saints, who have since left the AA. He made an immediate impact in 2021, putting up some of the best numbers of his career, driving in 71 runs while posting a .307 batting average.

The Robbinsdale, Minn., product became a league-wide sensation in 2022 when he was named the American Association’s Player of the Year on the strength of a .308 batting average, 31 home runs and 97 RBI, which tied a franchise record, and led the Goldeyes back to the playoffs for the first time in four years.

In their first playoff game, Murphy was again at the head of surging offence until a gruesome collision with the catcher at home plate shattered the tibia and fibula in his left leg, leaving nothing to hold his foot to the rest of his leg.

Murphy recovered in time for the 2023 season, and despite taking a slight step back last summer in offensive production (26 HRs, 84 RBI, .289 BA) he remained one of the Goldeyes’ most productive players in a lost season under ex-manager Greg Tagert.

Perhaps Murphy’s greatest achievement in the Manitoba capital was missing one regular-season game in three years — he played in 298 out of 299 contests.

“On so many different levels, he’ll go down as one of the best Goldeyes players in our history,” said Goldeyes GM Andrew Collier. “A quiet leader… he wasn’t the rah-rah guy that would get up and give speeches, he just led by example.

“He’ll go down as one of the best Goldeyes players in our history.”–Andrew Collier

“After he broke his leg, for him to come back the next year and continue to put him crazy home run numbers and (batting) average, on a leg he still had pain with throughout the year… was so impressive.”

In winter ball, Murphy suited up in 51 games for Navojoa, belting 12 home runs, and driving in 35 runs while hitting .279.

He conceded not all will be blissful when playing in Mexico. There is some give and take that he’s accepted.

While in spring training in Saltillo (in northern Mexico), Murphy is staying in a motel where the team pays for three meals a day. Teams also travel by “very nice buses,” in his words, and even fly to their furthest road games.

“This is their big leagues,” he said. “Things are taken care of for you, a bunch of trainers — people around making your life a lot easier — but, also, in Mexico some of the places we go aren’t that nice.”

He will also go long stretches without seeing his girlfriend, Maddie, who lives in Winnipeg. Leaving his partner for the summer made Murphy’s decision to play in Mexico a difficult one, but it was made easier when Saraperos de Saltillo agreed to cover her flight costs on three visits.

She will visit for the first time in May.

Murphy’s summer deal expires once the Mexican Baseball League season concludes in August, when the Goldeyes could be in the thick of a final playoff push.

“I would love to play back for the Goldeyes again, but (I) just have to see how things go down here.”–Max Murphy

Murphy would never rule out a return to Winnipeg later this year, he said, and Watkins assured that the team would entertain the idea if they could make the money and roster numbers work.

“I don’t know. I would love to play back for the Goldeyes again, but (I) just have to see how things go down here,” Murphy said.

“Things are nice down here but there are some things that aren’t the greatest, being in Mexico. I’m going to hopefully make some money, see how it is down here and go from there.”

joshua.frey-sam@freepress.mb.ca

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