MLB Rumors: Paul Goldschmidt favorite, Braves trade clue, will Angels deal Ohtani?
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: When will Sean Murphy be back for Braves?
Atlanta has plenty of question marks at catcher, but in this case, it’s a good thing. Atlanta has a surplus, with both Sean Murphy and Travis d’Arnaud ranking as two of the best backstops in the National League.
Murphy could very well make the NL All-Star team, assuming he’s healthy. That’s been a slight issue of late, as Murphy was forced to sit out a few days with a right hamstring ailment. Murphy’s MRI revealed positive results, as MLB.com’s Mark Bowman pointed out:
"“The good news is an MRI exam just showed irritation around Murphy’s hamstring, meaning there’s a chance he could be ready to play again as soon as Wednesday or Thursday. The Braves can also opt to place Murphy on the injured list if it looks like he needs a little more time. If a decision is made by Wednesday, the move could be made retroactive to Sunday.”"
Perhaps even better news is that the Braves are in no rush to get Murphy back thanks to having the sure-handed d’Arnaud as their backup catcher. But, as David O’Brien of The Athletic reported on Wednesday, Murphy is nearing a comfortable return.
Murphy did more work on field today, no issues. Snit didn't indicate if he'd be in lineup tomorrow. If I had to guess, he will be. But if not, they can have Tromp catch a game (that's assuming we play tonight and d'Arnaud gets day game off after night game). https://t.co/8quuv4lpLv
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienATL) June 21, 2023
So, what does this mean for d’Arnaud? He will go back to his regularly-slotted playing time, but Jim Bowden, a former general manager who now writes at The Athletic, thinks he could be a popular trade chips should Atlanta wish to upgrade at the deadline.
"“D’Arnaud is so valuable to the Braves because he protects them from an injury to catcher Sean Murphy and/or DH Marcell Ozuna and gives them a clutch hitter off the bench at any time. They are not looking to move him. However, if a team were willing to offer a mid-rotation starting pitcher for d’Arnaud and a prospect, then Atlanta would have to consider it. D’Arnaud is signed through this year with an $8 million team option for 2024,” Bowden wrote."
While having a surplus at such a valuable position could make the Braves NL frontrunners, if they have a hole to fill at the trade deadline, dealing from a position of strength makes some sense.