3 Braves players who could be traded before Opening Day
By Mark Powell
Braves rumors: Trade Travis d’Arnaud for a steep price
Atlanta already traded away one catcher this offseason in William Contreras, could Travis d’Arnaud be next?
Sean Murphy is as close to an everyday catcher as one can find these days. There isn’t much need for Travis d’Arnaud, who at his best is a capable backstop himself. d’Arnaud is an instrumental clubhouse presence with the Braves, which is likely why Alex Anthopoulos has kept him around. However, if Atlanta can acquire some serious prospect capital for a veteran catcher when not too many are available, they should pull the trigger.
Dave O’Brien of The Athletic said that Anthopoulos is adamant that the team will not trade away d’Arnaud given his clubhouse leadership, but that’s simply GM speak for “I haven’t received a good enough offer yet.” Everyone is available, especially someone who isn’t an everyday player.
d’Arnaud slashed .268/.319/.472 with a career-high 18 home runs last season, and could see time as a DH in the Braves lineup this season. However, it feels unlikely the team moves neither Ozuna or d’Arnaud this offseason, meaning one of them will be on the chopping block due to limited playing time at the DH slot.
d’Arnaud has far more value, and it’s likely Anthopoulos has already weighed some offers.