Braves Rumors: A Travis d’Arnaud trade, unlikely history, Soroka deals

Braves Rumors: Is a Travis d’Arnaud trade plausible?

A few days ago, Jim Bowden of The Athletic mentioned the possibility of a Travis d’Arnaud trade. Basically, it boils down to this — catcher is a valuable position, and Atlanta has two very good ones in Sean Murphy and d’Arnaud. Why not use that excess to acquire a starting pitcher, or perhaps another corner outfielder?

"“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."

So, yes, theoretically Alex Anthopoulos could use a d’Arnaud trade to his advantage. However, could it possibly be more valuable to do nothing at all? For weeks, pundits have tried to wrap their heads around what the Braves will do. With Max Fried and Kyle Wright returning from injuries, more pitching depth would make some sense. Eddie Rosario has struggled some, so why not another outfielder?

Yet, Atlanta is the best team in the NL right now, and one of the best squads in all of baseball. Clearly, they are doing something right. I posed the d’Arnaud question to FanSided’s Robert Murray earlier this week. Here’s what he had to say:

“With the emergence of Sean Murphy, d’Arnaud isn’t as needed in Atlanta as he once was. But the Braves, specifically general manager Alex Anthopoulos, love d’Arnaud and value catching depth. So it’s not like the team will just part with the veteran catcher for pennies on the dollar. A trade should not be ruled out, but it could be difficult…”

Murray suggested the San Diego Padres would be an ideal fit if Atlanta were indeed inclined to trade away d’Arnaud. The Pads need a catcher, and A.J. Preller is never afraid to deal.

It still remains a longshot, however.