Braves Rumors: Soroka on the block, Alex Anthopoulos risk, Mets upset

Braves Rumors: Latest waiver claim could come back to haunt the Mets

A savvy pickup by David Stearns has now been used against the Mets, as Alex Anthopoulos added Penn Murfee to the bullpen mix entering the 2024 season. Murfee is injured for now, but should be back at some point this coming season.

When healthy, Murfee has looked excellent, pitching to a 2.70 ERA in 80 relief appearances. Here's what I wrote on Murfee when the Braves initially claimed it. Frankly, it was a surprise he was available in the first place:

"At his best, Murfee is a solid middle relief arm, and we know how much Alex Anthopoulos has prioritized improving the Braves bullpen...Murfee was drafted in the 33rd round by the Seattle Mariners in 2018, but since has been a positive surprise, pitching to a 2.70 ERA in 80 relief appearances. Clearly, he has what it takes to be successful against major-league hitters at a consistent rate."

Tim Boyle at The Rising Apple had similar thoughts, especially considering Murfee was thought to a missing piece in the Mets bullpen by midseason, and a creative pickup at that by Stearns:

"Losing Murfee to the Braves is a minor inconvenience we really hope doesn't come back to bite the Mets. We'll always have those two weeks when we brainstormed all of those puns about writing utensils we couldn't wait to add into a headline. Back to the drawing board, this time without Penn," Boyle wrote.

If we know anything about Anthopoulos, Murfee will play a role in the Braves bullpen this season, and perhaps even log some important innings while he's at it. Sadly, the Mets will have to watch and wonder what if.