The Atlanta Braves have had a miserable season, but that hasn't stopped GM Alex Anthopoulos from saying that the team will not be sellers at the trade deadline. While his stance mostly makes sense, Sean Murphy's emergence should make him reconsider that stance.
Murphy had three hits in five at-bats on Friday, two of which left the ballpark. He entered Saturday's action slashing .236/.315/.513 with 15 home runs and 35 RBI in 58 games, and then promptly went yard again.
SEAN MURPHY KEEPS GOING!
— Lindsay Crosby, big baseball guy (@CrosbyBaseball) July 12, 2025
Atlanta's catcher launches a go-ahead, three-run homer in the top of the 8th inning. Middle-middle cutter and he gets all of it. pic.twitter.com/zUOxFXr6r3
He missed the beginning of the season due to injury and has been mostly outshone by Drake Baldwin, but quietly, he's been one of the best bats in an underwhelming Atlanta lineup. He's an important player for the Braves and is locked in long-term, but he's also a player the Braves would be wise to move on from for a couple of reasons.
For more news and rumors, check out MLB Insider Robert Murray’s work on The Baseball Insiders podcast, subscribe to The Moonshot, our weekly MLB newsletter, and join the discord to get the inside scoop during the MLB season.
A Sean Murphy trade would take advantage of a prime seller's market
With three Wild Card spots in each league, only a handful of teams are willing to admit defeat on a given season. The Braves are talented, but they should be one of those teams given their record, their injury situation, and frankly, how this season has gone. With only a few sellers to speak of, the Braves can receive a haul, especially for a star catcher like Murphy.
Even with his missed time, Murphy ranks fifth among primary catchers with at least 200 plate appearances with a 127 WRC+, sixth with 2.2 fWAR, and fourth with 16 home runs. He's one of the best players in the game at a position where many contenders could use an upgrade.
The Braves could trade Murphy for players who can help them at other positions of need. While he's obviously a good player to have, it's not as if Atlanta wouldn't survive without him.
The Braves don't need Sean Murphy
Murphy is a great player, but he's also a luxury that the Braves don't need. Given that, if they can sell high on him and acquire players who can fill positions of need, why not do that?
Drake Baldwin earned an Opening Day roster spot because of Murphy's early-season injury, and played so well that the team couldn't send him down to Triple-A. He's been one of the best catchers in the game all season, and could easily win the NL Rookie of the Year award. He's been splitting time with Murphy, but the Braves would be just fine handing the reins to Baldwin and trading Murphy. In fact, they might be better off that way.
Sean Murphy trade won't hurt the Braves in 2026
A big reason why Anthopoulos is unwilling to commit to a full-on sell-off is that he expects the Braves to compete in 2026. The Braves don't have much to trade that isn't expected to produce in 2026 for Atlanta. Trading Chris Sale, for example, who is under contract through next season thanks to a very cheap club option, would signal giving up on 2025 and 2026. Trading Murphy wouldn't be the same, though.
Again, the Braves have Baldwin, a budding star, locked in behind the plate. They don't need Murphy. If anything, they can be better-positioned to win in 2026 if they can trade Murphy for some pitching and/or a shortstop who can help them immediately.
The Braves should not commit to a teardown, but they should be willing to trade some players. Trading one of their two star catchers if it means they sell high and improve elsewhere, would make a lot of sense.