One of the underrated stories down the stretch of the Atlanta Braves' season is the struggles of veteran catcher Sean Murphy. While Murphy remains an incredible defender, the offense has been a struggle each of the past two seasons. The catcher has managed one hit in the month of August. No, you didn't read that incorrectly. Well over halfway into the summer's final month, Murphy has one hit in 28 at-bats.
This doesn't need any explanation, with the numbers speaking for themselves. Even the last two seasons of career norms have the catcher rarely getting on base and playing a losing brand of offense. The power numbers are great, but when the game is on the line, you cannot rely on Murphy to move runners up or manage to get the ball in play. It is a large piece of what has gone so wrong with the 2025 Braves.
Atlanta no longer has the ability to execute the fundamentals, and this issue is far deeper than just Murphy. Still, the veteran is a major contributor to the problem and should be on the market after the end of the season. Drake Baldwin has made the veteran expendable, and there will likely be a major market for the accomplished catcher.
Braves Catcher Sean Murphy Could Become Attractive Offseason Trade Chip
The emergence of the rookie has been a surprise, with Baldwin first forcing his way onto the roster due to an early-season injury to Murphy. Since that time, there has been no question who the better offensive force has been. Add in the fact that Baldwin has been a far better defender than expected, and the reasons to consider trading Murphy continue to pile up.
If the Braves had a complete roster, it isn't a move that you would consider making. However, there are so many holes and depth concerns with this current group that having both catchers on the roster doesn't add up. With Baldwin still being under team control for the foreseeable future, it makes sense to shed the salary and improve at another position.
Even with Murphy's struggles, the catcher is going to have a market based on his defense and the history offensively. Atlanta's front office must begin to seriously consider this with a long list of concerns to answer in the 2026 offseason. The Braves have plenty of holes to fill, and parting ways with Murphy helps solve two problems.