For all intents and purposes, the Atlanta Braves kicked off the Drake Baldwin era on March 27. We’re just waiting on the official end of the Sean Murphy era.
There’s no reason to believe a trade involving Murphy, a 2023 All-Star who turns 31 in October, is imminent. Although the 39-51 Braves enter Wednesday riding a five-game losing streak, they haven’t truly waved the white flag and started selling ahead of the July 31 trade deadline.
However, it should be evident at this point that Murphy isn’t long for Atlanta. The veteran backstop has three guaranteed seasons left on his six-year, $73 million contract, plus a 2029 team option. It’s no longer an “if” the Braves will part ways with Murphy, but a “when” — and, for the sake of all parties, that “when” should be sooner rather than later.
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Sean Murphy trade could be Braves' best option to compete in 2026
Atlanta committed to Baldwin as its long-term backstop when the Braves included him on their Opening Day roster and had him catch Chris Sale. That alone should have left no doubt that Murphy’s days behind the plate were numbered, though it was unclear if the same applied to his overall Braves future.
Plenty has changed in the last few months regarding the Braves’ 2026 outlook. Sale and designated hitter Marcell Ozuna are potential trade pieces this summer, and there’s no reason the Braves shouldn’t make Murphy available. He owns a .787 OPS in 207 plate appearances, and his 1.9 bWAR ranks fifth among full-time catchers.
Sean Murphy DEMOLISHED this baseball 451 feet 💥 pic.twitter.com/EEYonSIing
— MLB (@MLB) June 29, 2025
For his part, Baldwin is batting .274 with 10 homers, 28 RBI and a .826 OPS. FanDuel Sportsbook currently lists Baldwin (+440) just behind Milwaukee Brewers phenom Jacob Misiorowski (-250) in NL Rookie of the Year odds.
Should the Atlanta Braves trade Sean Murphy?
Trading Murphy opens up money, and the Braves have multiple needs worth addressing this offseason. Atlanta needs a middle infielder, and it also wouldn’t hurt to add a reliable starting pitcher capable of eating innings. Houston Astros veteran Framber Valdez and Arizona Diamondbacks standout Zac Gallen each make perfect sense for the Braves, assuming they don’t re-sign with their current clubs.
As for middle infielders, it’d be interesting to see what players certain teams would give up to acquire Murphy. The problem is Murphy’s contract, especially with some clubs refusing to take on a significant contract. Murphy is an upgrade over Danny Jansen, but would the Tampa Bay Rays really agree to a trade featuring his contract?
That raises an obvious question: if you’re the Braves, would you rather keep Murphy around as a designated hitter, or send him to a team willing to absorb his contract? The answer is pretty clear to us.