The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported during the first week of July that Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy will not be available at the MLB trade deadline. But that hasn’t stopped pundits from suggesting Murphy is a trade target, particularly for one National League West team — the San Diego Padres.

Rosenthal’s colleague, The Athletic’s Dennis Lin, mentioned Murphy while discussing San Diego’s catching situation and potential targets the team could have on the trade market.

“The Padres appear determined to acquire an upgrade at catcher by this month’s trade deadline,” Lin wrote on July 11. “The Atlanta Braves’ Sean Murphy is a longtime target; San Diego has had interest dating back to at least the first half of 2022, when Murphy still played for the Athletics.

“Current A’s catcher Shea Langeliers is another potential target.”

Murphy is under contract for three more seasons and has a club option for 2029. The Braves inked him to a six-year, $73 million contract after acquiring him from the then Oakland Athletics prior to the 2023 season.

But pundits have floated Murphy as a trade candidate because one of Atlanta’s top prospects, Drake Baldwin, has been cutting into Murphy’s playing time this season.

Murphy has displayed power surges at times this season. He has 16 home runs in just 199 at-bats, which has helped him post an .824 OPS.

Baldwin, though, has been the better hitter overall. The rookie is batting .279 with an .830 OPS, 11 home runs, 32 RBI and 21 runs.

There are quite a few pros and cons for the Braves potentially trading Murphy. The club will pay him $15 million per season for at least three more years. The Padres are so desperate to find a quality catcher, they might be willing to take on that contract and give up prospects to do so.

If San Diego makes a competitive offer for Murphy, it’s something the Braves really should consider. With a Murphy trade, Atlanta could dump a catcher batting .231 and reallocate his $15 million to a bigger need in 2026 while Baldwin slides into the starting catcher role permanently.

But designated hitter Marcell Ozuna will be a free agent this winter. So, it will be easier starting in 2026 for the Braves to find a spot in the lineup for both Murphy and Baldwin.

To trade Murphy, the Braves also have to be confident Baldwin is ready to manage an MLB pitching staff. Baldwin has improved tremendously on defense through his first few months in the big leagues. But there could still be nuances of catching that he hasn’t learned yet that he eventually will from Murphy.

Right now, it doesn’t appear the Braves are going to move on from Murphy this month. But the team is likely to receive trade inquires for the catcher.