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On Monday, Daniel Murphy signed a minor-league contract with the Los Angeles Angels. The 38-year-old baseman last played in the majors in 2020 and retired in 2021 before making a comeback this season to play with the Long Island Ducks of the Atlantic League.
Although Murphy is widely regarded as one of the best hitters to have played for the New York Mets from 2008 to 2015, his final year with the franchise was marred with controversy.
In 2015, Daniel Murphy made homophobic comments against Billy Bean when he visited the Mets' spring training. At the time, Bean was serving as the MLB's ambassador and one of the only two former league players to have come out as gay. Murphy said:
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“I disagree with his (Bean's) lifestyle. I do disagree with the fact he is homosexual. That doesn’t mean I can’t still invest in him and get to know him. I don’t think the fact someone is homosexual should completely shut the door on investing in them in a relational aspect.
“Maybe as Christians, we haven’t been articulate enough in describing what our actual stance is on homosexuality. We love the people. We disagree with the lifestyle.”
Despite Murphy's comments on Bean, he did not receive any suspension from the MLB. However, following the 2015 season, the Mets traded him to the Washington Nationals.
Daniel Murphy's MLB stats and career honors
Daniel Murphy made his MLB debut for the New York Mets in 2008 and he spent eight seasons with the team, leading them to the World Series in 2015. However, the New York outfit lost to the Kansas City Royals at the final hurdle.
Murphy was traded to the Washington Nationals in December 2015 and he spent three seasons with the team before joining the Chicago Cubs in 2018. The baseman then played two years with the Colorado Rockies until the 2020 season.
During his 13 years in the Majors, Murphy racked up 138 home runs and 735 RBIs with a batting average of .296.
Murphy has two Silver Slugger awards and three All-Star honors. He also won the NLCS MVP in 2015 when he took the Mets to the World Series.
