Atlanta’s former star is scuffling with his new team, while his replacement is thriving.

Last season with the Atlanta Braves, veteran catcher Travis d’Arnaud posted mediocre numbers, hitting .238 with 15 home runs over the course of 307 at-bats.

It was his second consecutive year of sub-par performance at the plate. d’Arnaud had previously garnered acclaim in Atlanta, being selected to the 2022 All-Star game and winning a Silver Slugger in 2020.

Despite his middling performance since the start of the 2023 season, d’Arnaud was still a solid fit as a backup catcher behind Sean Murphy.

And with an oft-injured catcher like Murphy, having a veteran with a history of well-timed heroics like d’Arnaud was, more or less, a luxury, especially at a time when Atlanta’s catching depth was challenged.

So, when the time came to make a decision on d’Arnaud’s $8 million option for 2025, the safe choice was rather obvious.

But that wasn’t the choice the Braves opted for: The Braves declined d’Arnaud’s option, sending him into free agency. The move left Atlanta perilously short on experienced catching options behind their starter. However, as it turns out, the risky move has been much more rewarding.

Travis d’Arnaud is reaching for career-lows with the Angels

Since leaving the Braves, d’Arnaud signed a two-year, $12 million contract with the Los Angeles Angels. Now in Los Angeles (Anaheim, to be more precise), d’Arnaud is on pace to produce career lows all across his entire slash line, hitting just .200/.250/.317 with one home run entering Tuesday.

With numbers like this, the Braves are looking extremely smart for having cut ties with him. But how are things on Atlanta’s side of the world?

As fate would have it, Murphy would be injured once more, thrusting newly minted backup catcher, rookie Drake Baldwin, into the spotlight. Baldwin has responded by slashing .357/.400/.583 with four home runs and jumping out to a commanding lead in the NL Rookie of the Year race.

With Baldwin’s bat seeing regular action, the Braves have managed to make an epic comeback, rising from the ashes of last place in the NL East and now challenging the Phillies and Mets atop the division.

It is now clear that this risky decision has played right into the hands of the Braves. Should Baldwin bring home the ROY award, Atlanta will even be rewarded with an extra first-round draft pick. How the Braves managed their risks with this degree of success – predictive forecasting, crystal ball sorcery, divining rod, coin toss, differential equations, etc. – we don’t know. However, fortune favors the bold, and the Braves are certainly reaping the benefits.