Braves fans will love everything Sean Murphy said about signing extension

Sean Murphy definitely said all the right things after signing his Atlanta Braves extension.

For at least the next six years, Sean Murphy will be the main man behind the dish for the Atlanta Braves.

Although Atlanta still has an All-Star and a former Silver Slugger at catcher in Travis d’Arnaud, the Braves were able to win its fifth straight NL East crown by having the best backstop tandem in baseball. Of course, Atlanta had to send William Contreras to the Milwaukee Brewers as part of the package to bring Murphy to Atlanta from the Oakland Athletics. He also just got paid big time.

Murphy signed a six-year extension worth $73 million to keep him with the Braves through 2028. Atlanta has a club option on him in 2029. Murphy will not hit free agency until 2030 when he will be entering his age-35 season. Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos was able to prematurely extend another solid player on the Atlanta roster on an incredibly team-friendly deal.

Despite having not played an inning for the Braves, Murphy was more than comfortable about committing to Atlanta long-term. While it certainly helps that his former Athletics teammate Matt Olson just had an excellent first year playing for his hometown team, Murphy having no hesitation about signing with the Braves long-term has to have this rabid Atlanta fanbase absolutely giddy.

With Murphy putting pen to paper, the Braves have six of their eight position players locked in for the long term. The other five players of note under contract are Olson at first base, Ozzie Albies at second, Austin Riley at third, Ronald Acuña Jr. in right field and Michael Harris II in center. Should Vaughn Grissom play up to his potential, he could be the seventh guy at either shortstop or in left.

Clearly, this is more than just Murphy getting out of Dodge when it comes to the incredibly cheap Athletics. The star catcher makes his offseason home in Nashville, a prominent and growing metropolis in Braves Country. Not only does playing in Atlanta make things easier for his family to follow along, but Murphy will have a fantastic shot at contending for World Series championships.

Losing Dansby Swanson in free agency still stings, but extending Murphy does lessen the blow.

Atlanta Braves fans will love everything Sean Murphy said after being extended

Although Braves Country may not love every move Anthopoulos makes, you have to admit he is very consistent with his team-building approach. It is all about sustainability in Atlanta under his watch. He is committed to fielding a winner, year in and year out, amplified by the increased financial capital that is the absolute cash cow known as The Battery. There is a downside, though…

Anthopoulos is reticent towards paying above-market value for All-Star-level players approaching or entering their early 30s. This philosophy largely contributed to him letting Swanson walk this December and Freddie Freeman walking last winter. Atlanta is not going cheap with these sorts of extensions, but the Braves do not want to pay a premium for a star player who is exiting his prime.

Look. Murphy is not replacing an Atlanta legend like Olson was with Freeman. He, and presumably Grissom, will be looked at the guys who are replacing Contreras and Swanson. Over time, Murphy will fully take the mantle behind the dish from d’Arnaud, but that is not an immediate issue right now. What is one is how the Braves go about holding serve in the top-heavy National League East.

He will go through a period of adjustment, but Murphy should play his best baseball for Atlanta.