After trading Yunel Escobar to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim following the 2015 season, the Washington Nationals were in need of a second baseman. Their top two targets were Brandon Phillips and Ben Zobrist, but they came up short on both.
Eventually, Daniel Murphy fell into their lap. He was coming off of an incredible postseason, but not many people believed he could maintain that level of success. After all, he was a pesky hitter at best prior to the postseason explosion.
Now, after two All-Star nominations and two Silver Slugger Awards in a span of two years, we can safely say that the 2015 postseason was just a glimpse into what Murphy is capable of.