David Murphy is retiring

David Murphy, former Texas Rangers outfielder who had been playing for the Minnesota Twins' AAA affiliate, is retiring, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Murphy, 34, was a first round draft pick of the Boston Red Sox out of Baylor University in the 2003 draft.  He was traded to Texas in 2007 in the deal that sent Eric Gagne to Boston, with Kason Gabbard and Engel Beltre going to the Rangers with Murphy.

Murphy hit the ground running in Texas, putting up a .340/.382/.534 slash line in 110 plate appearances post-trade, and was a regular part of the Rangers outfield through 2013.  Murphy ended up putting up a .275/.337/.440 slash line over 7 seasons for the Rangers.

Murphy had a rough 2013 campaign, and departed after the season to sign a two year deal with the Cleveland Indians.  Murphy was dealt to the Angels in 2015, and this spring signed a minor league deal with Boston.  After opting out of that deal, he signed with the Twins a couple of weeks ago, but with no despite a potential return to the majors on the horizon, Murphy has apparently decided the time has come to hang it up.

Murphy was definitely a fan and media favorite during his time with the Rangers, being something of the poor man's Rusty Greer, a lefty bat who had a little bit of power and could get on base, and who wasn't a great defender but generated enthusiasm with his hustle in the field.  He was also a solid contributor on some of the best Rangers teams ever, and thus will forever be on my "good" list.