The problem of whether the Atlanta Braves should trade Sean Murphy is a bit more complex than it might appear at first glance. While Murphy’s overall offensive numbers aren’t great, the catcher continues to live up to big moments. The final series before the break illustrated this with Murphy hammering a three-run homer to put the Braves in control and hand the team a much-needed series win. This has been typical during Murphy’s tenure, as well as bringing superb defense behind the plate. Opting to trade such a presence must be weighed heavily.
Rookie Drake Baldwin is why this is a discussion in the first place. With how impressive the catcher’s offense has been, the team keeping him out of the lineup has been borderline malpractice. However, the issue is that the team doesn’t have room for Marcell Ozuna, Murphy, and Baldwin in the same lineup. An easy fix would be trading away the expiring contract of Ozuna and turning the page on his time with the team. The argument against this is the fact that the veteran is a needed energy in the clubhouse and playing injured in an effort to help his team.
Should the Braves Trade Sean Murphy?
It could be argued that the team should re-sign Ozuna and trade Murphy’s contract. This saves money you can spend on needed depth while still having one of the league’s better catchers in Baldwin. Whichever path the Braves choose to walk needs to end with the rookie in the starting lineup every night.
There is no longer a justifiable reason to hold out his talent every few days with the team’s standings. If Murphy were the best version of himself and Atlanta were in the postseason race, the discussion could be different. Since this isn’t the case, the team is going to need to make a choice, and perhaps that will include trading the veteran catcher.
While the clutch moments have been incredible, the catcher has spent back-to-back seasons hitting at an extremely low average and is a piece of why the team has been so terribly inconsistent. Trading this while getting something that helps you build for next season makes the move at least a consideration.
Ozuna is struggling at the plate and is not going to bring back anything of note that helps you turn the page. Trading the designated hitter is simply about giving him a chance to contribute to a winning team and taking a flyer on a struggling prospect or new bench piece.