Braves surprising star could be bad news for a potential trade asset

The Atlanta Braves are in need of top-level starting pitching, whether they want to admit it or not. Spencer Strider was the ace of their pitching staff, but he is expected to miss the entire 2024 season after undergoing elbow surgery.

As Atlanta has learned the hard way the past two postseasons, pitching can make or break their chances in October. With Strider out, the Braves will require a lot of production from Max Fried, Charlie Morton, Chris Sale and more to reach their ultimate goal.

Division titles are nice, but a World Series banner is that ultimate goal. A starting trio of Fried, Morton and Sale will not get it done alone in the playoffs, no matter how great their lineup is. This is why Alex Anthopoulos ought to have an ear to the ground regarding potential pickups come late July. The MLB trade deadline could prove valuable for this Braves team.

Chadwick Tromp establishing himself as a Braves catching option

In a somewhat surprising development, Chadwick Tromp is apparently a very serviceable backup catcher. The Braves backup backstop has received rave reviews from both fans the his own teammates. Reynaldo Lopez and Chris Sale have complimented Tromp on several occasions, and the current Braves backup catcher loves what he's hearing.

“To be honest, it feels good,” Tromp said, per The Athletic ($). “It’s a lot of work that we put in before the game with the catchers and the coaches — Sal and Eddie, and Travy and Sean — just going over the pitchers that day. And just go out there and have fun, man. That’s why I’m here; I’m going to try to help the team win every day."

With Sean Murphy out for awhile, Travis d'Arnaud has taken over as the starting catcher while Tromp was called up from Triple-A Gwinnett. Even there, Sale was quick to notice the work her puts in.

Could the Braves trade one of their catchers?

While it's nice to have a surplus at a position of grave importance, Atlanta could easily trade away one of their catchers for starting pitching depth. Tromp is the least-valuable of the three for now. d'Arnaud signed a contract extension which keeps him in Atlanta through the 2025 season, so perhaps he is available.

What makes d'Arnaud so great is that he's a true two-way catcher. There aren't very many of those left. d'Arnaud made the NL All-Star team in 2022 and so far this year is slashing .260/.339/.600 in 16 games. At 35 years old, he's the kind of veteran backstop so many contending teams need. Yet, he's not essential to this Braves team if Tromp continues to produce and Murphy can play at an All-Star level upon his return.

Trading d'Arnaud would sting, yes, but it would allow the Braves to avoid an already-thin prospect pool and provide Tromp with a long-term home that isn't Gwinnett.