The Atlanta Braves were dealt a massive blow early this spring, as catcher Sean Murphy is set to miss 4-6 weeks due to a cracked rib. He’s expected to miss Opening Day.
Murphy, 30, is the catcher that the Braves acquired from the A’s in hopes that he’d be their long-term answer. Immediately after the trade, they rewarded him with a six-year, $73 million contract extension. It’s been a stroke of genius by general manager Alex Anthopoulos, with Murphy making the All-Star team in his first season in Atlanta.
Murphy only played in 72 games last season and his numbers – .193/.284/.352 with a .636 OPS, 10 home runs and 25 RBI – were significantly lower than they were in 2023. But his impact behind the plate is unmistakable. In 594 innings with Murphy at catcher, Braves pitchers held a 2.85 ERA. In 849.1 innings without Murphy at catcher, Braves pitchers had a 3.93 ERA.
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So how will the Braves replace Sean Murphy in the interim?
Look for Atlanta to rely heavily on top catching prospect Drake Baldwin, who has stood out to team officials in camp. He has yet to debut in the majors, but at 24 years old, the Braves need to see what they have in Baldwin. That was part of the logic in letting Travis d’Arnaud, who was beloved in Atlanta, depart in free agency for the Los Angeles Angels.
The other part of the equation in letting d’Arnaud leave, really, is that the team didn’t have much financial flexibility this offseason. It’s why they were so quiet in free agency, besides signing outfielder Jurickson Profar to a three-year contract.
There are still some veteran catching options available in free agency, most notably Yasmani Grandal. On Monday, it appeared that Grandal was no closer to finding a home for the 2025 season. It would appear unlikely that Grandal would be an option for Atlanta, especially considering 1) that Murphy isn’t out long-term and 2) the team wants to see what it has in Baldwin.
So don’t look for any outside reinforcements in Atlanta. What that roster looks like, especially at catcher, is very likely to remain the same come Opening Day.