The Atlanta Braves made yet another minor league move this week by re-signing catcher Chadwick Tromp to replace recently lost depth. One of the first moves of Atlanta's offseason was signing catcher Austin Nola in a move that appeared to offer the struggling backstop a path back to Major League relevance. If Sean Murphy isn't traded this offseason, the Braves are likely to carry three catchers and slot Drake Baldwin into the DH role. Something that offered Nola a path to the active roster.
However, the catcher has taken a different path, leaving the Braves shortly after signing to become the Seattle Mariners' bullpen coach. While it is an intriguing career transition for a player who was struggling mightily at the plate, it is a bit discouraging to see an offseason signing fizzle so quickly. Still, turning back to Tromp is a solid fallback that offers surprising upside.
Tromp has spent 2022-25 seasons with the Braves organization, with last year's tenure ending with the Baltimore Orioles after Baldwin's emergence pushed the catcher off the roster. Still, there is the same opportunity afforded to Tromp as Nola if Atlanta plans to solve the obvious DH issue by bringing in a third catching option.
Braves Solve Nola's Departure Reuniting with Minor League Catcher Chadwick Tromp
While Tromp has less proven upside than Nola, it is still a solid backup plan that allows you to put both Murphy and Baldwin in the lineup if the Braves choose to take this path. The better path remains opting to open up salary space by trading Murphy and moving forward with Tromp as the long-term answer.
Regardless, the Braves clearly are setting themselves up for injury depth or to have answers if both catchers remain on the roster. For Tromp, it is a great opportunity with a club that has given him the bulk of his big-league success. Atlanta has given the catcher the majority of his at-bats at the Major League level.
There will understandably be a lot of attention on the shortstop and bullpen positions during the 2025 offseason as the Braves attempt to fix both of these liabilities. However, there is no debating that how the front office opts to manage their current issues at catcher is an underrated story of the 2026 offseason.
One that Tromp can now be factored into as the Braves continue to near free agency, heating up as we move closer to league meetings. Leaving Braves fans wondering what the future might hold for the position group and whether or not Baldwin will lay sole claim to starting duties.
Regardless, having Tromp back on the roster is a solid addition and one that gives you a bit more flexibility as Atlanta heads deeper into the offseason.