The Atlanta Braves and Pittsburgh Pirates have been busy this offseason with both trades and free agent signings. As the Braves plot about what they want to do next this winter, GM Alex Anthopoulos has gone on the record to say that Atlanta needs to add another impactful starter before the 2026 season opens up.
Well, if they don’t want to sign one of the top free agent starters, making a trade might be the Braves’ best option, and the Pirates have a quality, durable arm in Mitch Keller that might be available. Pittsburgh needs offensive help, and Atlanta has a player in catcher Sean Murphy, who could be offloaded.
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Should the Braves Target Mitch Keller?
The Atlanta Braves should consider trading for Pirates starter Mitch Keller to fill in their fourth or fifth rotation spot.
In this one-for-one trade idea, the Braves send Sean Murphy to the Pirates in exchange for Mitch Keller. A trade that benefits both parties, as the Braves receive an innings-eater in Keller, and the Pirates get a huge boost at the catcher position.
Mitch Keller was an All-Star in 2023 and picked up a lot of trade buzz back in July, but ultimately stayed in Pittsburgh. Henry Davis and Joey Bart are atop the Pirates catcher depth chart at the moment, and they combined for 11 home runs in 2025.
Even though Sean Murphy’s stats have been down over the past two seasons, he has 26 home runs since the start of 2024, and has failed to reach the 100-game played mark in each of the past two seasons.
PHOENIX, ARIZONA – JULY 28: Starter Mitch Keller #23 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the first inning at Chase Field on July 28, 2024 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images)
However, with Drake Baldwin emerging as the Braves’ everyday catcher, Atlanta now has the motivation to move Sean Murphy if they please.
Murphy underwent hip surgery at the end of 2025, and his status to start 2026 is up in the air. He has also failed to hit above .200 in each of the last two seasons.
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Why Adding Mitch Keller Makes Sense
Adding Mitch Keller via trade makes a lot of sense for the Braves. Atlanta’s biggest issue last season was receiving ample innings out of its starters.
Mitch Keller has made 29+ starts in each of the past four seasons, and has hovered around the 4.00 ERA mark in each of those years. In 2025, he had a 4.19 ERA over 176.1 innings.
He comes with a five-year, $77 million contract, which is manageable if the Pirates ate some of the salary of Sean Murphy.
With a strong top of the rotation that includes Spencer Schwellenbach and Chris Sale, the Braves are looking for a middle-of-the-rotation arm that can bridge that gap of the rotation before turning over to Sale or Schwellenbach.
The free agent market is another way Atlanta can add an arm, but the top free agent starters are going to be pricey, and then it really falls off from there in terms of age and production. Keller is on the right side of 30 (29 y/o) and has several years of service time under his belt.
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