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Sean Murphy of the Atlanta Braves

MLB’s hot stove season is finally here, and the market is already active with several trades happening across the league. That also means the rumors are pouring in from all angles on who else could potentially be on the move.

The Atlanta Braves may have a tough decision to make regarding former All-Star catcher Sean Murphy. The National League Rookie of the Year in 2025 was Drake Baldwin, and his success leads many to believe he will be the Braves’ primary catcher going forward, but where does that leave Sean Murphy in the Braves’ plans?

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Will the Braves Trade Sean Murphy?

This is the big offseason question for the Atlanta Braves in terms of the trade market. Atlanta has several players locked up to big contracts, but this could be an opportunity to free up some payroll.

In a recent article by MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand, Sean Murphy is named as the team’s top trade candidate this offseason:

“Given the dearth of catching options on the free-agent market, the Braves – who also have reigning NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin – could receive interest in Murphy, who is under club control for three more years at $45 million. Murphy has been dealing with a hip injury for the past two years that has impacted his performance at the plate, but he remains a top defender behind the plate.”

GettySean Murphy of the Atlanta Braves

Murphy had mustered up some trade buzz back at the July deadline, but ultimately stayed put. As Feinsand indicates, the catcher market might be thin enough for a team to make a desperation trade for Sean Murphy.

In 2025, Murphy hit just .199, but smashed 16 home runs in 94 games and posted a respectable 98 OPS+ for a catcher.

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Who Could be in the Market for Sean Murphy?

Catcher remains one of the most important positions in baseball, and for many teams, it’s a struggle to find consistency behind the dish.

A few teams that come to mind that need a catcher are the San Diego Padres, Tampa Bay Rays, and the Texas Rangers.

Murphy was an All-Star in 2023, and he inked a six-year, $73 million deal before the 2023 season when he was traded over to the Braves from the Athletics.

For the most part, that contract has worked out. He has 47 home runs in 274 games in a Braves uniform, but Murphy is on the wrong side of 3o now, and he’s had back-to-back seasons posting an average under the Mendoza line (.200).

According to BaseballReference.com, he’s projected to hit .222 in 2026 with 17 home runs and drive in 50 runs. For a catcher, that’s pretty valuable and should be enough for a few teams to make calls with the Braves’ front office regarding a potential trade.

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