The Atlanta Braves have had an active offseason to this point, and are even familiar with the Houston Astros in the trade market, as the Stros dealt utilityman Mauricio Dubón to Atlanta in return for Nick Allen last month.
In other moves, the Braves have cleared up their need for another bullpen piece with the addition of Robert Suarez, and also brought back Ha-Seong Kim on a one-year, $20 million deal. The final remaining need for the Braves is another depth starter, or more arms to insert into the pitching staff. There have been slight rumors that the Braves may be willing to move on from former All-Star catcher Sean Murphy in a meaningful trade.
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Should the Braves Trade Sean Murphy?
The Braves should consider moving on from Sean Murphy if the price is right. After signing a six-year, $73 million contract before 2023, Murphy started his Braves tenure strong by being named to the All-Star team in 2o23, but has shown some inconsistencies since.
In this trade idea, the Atlanta Braves offload Sean Murphy and acquire two Houston Astros pitchers in AJ Blubaugh and top prospect Miguel Ullola. Ullola is the Astros’ fifth-ranked prospect.
GettySean Murphy of the Atlanta Braves
AJ Blubaugh saw some MLB innings in 2025 with the Astros. He posted a 1.69 ERA over 32 innings pitched. The Astros are faced with a big decision regarding Framber Valdez’s free agency, but it’s expected that Houston will be unable to retain him. Houston has a catcher already in Yainer Diaz, but Murphy could serve in a backup role as he did with the Braves in 2025.
As for Sean Murphy being the centerpiece of this deal, he has shown power upside in each of the past two seasons, but also has a sub-.200 batting average in both 2024 and 2025, and has failed to reach the 100-game mark in both seasons.
Would the Braves Consider Making This Deal?
The Atlanta Braves should consider this deal for two different reasons. The first being, it seems they already have their everyday catcher in Drake Baldwin after Baldwin won the NL Rookie of the Year. And while it’s certainly important for Atlanta to have two capable catchers, they could sign a cheap option in free agency to serve as Drake Baldwin’s backup.
The second reason is the fact that Sean Murphy might miss the start of the 2026 season as he continues to recover from hip surgery. Murphy still has a strong defensive presence behind the dish.
In 2025, Murphy hit 16 home runs in 94 games and posted an OPS+ of 98. BaseballReference.com projects Murphy to hit 17 home runs in 343 at-bats in 2026.
It’s still unclear if the Braves have fielded calls on Sean Murphy, but for MLB teams out there that need a catcher, Murphy might be the best option on the trade market at this point.
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