Alex Anthopoulos continues to look like a genius amid Sean Murphy injury

There is always method to the madness when it comes to how Alex Anthopoulos goes about building the Atlanta Braves. Last offseason saw Atlanta trade for Oakland Athletics backstop Sean Murphy. Yes, they already had Travis d'Arnaud, but Murphy was an underappreciated star in the game with a howitzer for a right arm. Rather than scoff at the trade, d'Arnaud embraced it, and was rewarded for it.

Sadly, for the second Opening Day in a row, the Braves lost an All-Star to the injured list. Yes, Murphy is going on the 10-day IL with a strained left oblique muscle. He sustained this on an awkward swing on a pitch inside. While d'Arnaud will be tasked with being the everyday backstop, Atlanta already had a Quad-A catcher in the minors in Chadwick Tromp. He is arguably better than many clubs' backups.

Once again, Anthopoulos looks like a genius in roster construction. Where would the Braves be if Murphy was out for a month-plus? This is a World Series contender, if not the favorites across all of baseball. There cannot be a weak link across the diamond in Atlanta. Every roster spot counts. So while d'Arnaud doesn't play as much as he used to, he is a pro and will be ready for the challenge.

Here is the official roster move made by the Braves on Saturday morning to account for Murphy to IL.

Expect for d'Arnaud to catch four out of every five games with Tromp playing about twice a week now.

Alex Anthopoulos built this Atlanta Braves team to sustain major injuries

This is a prime example of why every move that Anthopoulos makes is so incredibly calculated. He is not going to give up the farm for short-term gains. He understands fully that this is a marathon and not a sprint. Murphy will be afforded all the time he needs to get back to good. All the while, d'Arnaud will get more playing time and Tromp will be up with the Braves sooner than expected for this season.

If Anthopoulos has a plan in place like this for his catchers, you better believe he does this with every key position group across the diamond. Atlanta has arms for days in the rotation and bullpen at both the big-league and minor-league levels. The same principle applies to the outfield. While I would say that infield depth is quite then, Atlanta is built so that Matt Olson and Austin Riley will play every day.

Overall, the Braves do as good of a job of any franchise historically of embracing the next-man-up mentality. It is why when most of their best prospects are called up, they are ready for action. While some may get sent down for future grooming and instruction, few look like fish out of water when they first get the call. They aren't deer in the headlights. They know what Braves baseball is all about.

While it stinks to see Murphy go on IL, everyone in Braves Country trusts d'Arnaud to carry them.