This continues a series where I discuss the biggest issues for the Braves heading into the offseason. If you missed any of the previous parts to this series, follow the links below.
- Should Braves trade Jorge Soler?
- How will the Braves replace Max Fried?
- Will the Braves retain A.J. Minter?
Who is Sean Murphy?
It’s reasonable to assume the Braves will keep Sean Murphy as their primary catcher going into next season. They invested a ton into him when they acquired him a couple of offseasons ago. Selling low now is probably not a realistic course of action.
Sean Murphy is under contract through 2028 with a club option for 2029 after signing a six-year extension with the Braves before even playing a game in Atlanta. It’s something Alex Anthopoulos has done many times with the current core, and typically, it works out well for the team. But anybody in the organization saying they don’t have a bit of buyer’s remorse when looking back on the Murphy trade and subsequent extension is lying to themselves.
Not only is Murphy failing to live up to the contract he signed, but it’s impossible not to look up north at Milwaukee and see what William Contreras is doing for the Brewers, who has blossomed into one of the best catchers in the game. However, thinking about the past isn’t going to get the Braves where they need to go. Sean Murphy is the guy now, and it’s time for him to start performing like it.
Murphy’s first 3+ months of baseball in his new threads couldn’t have gone better. He recorded nearly a 1.000 OPS in the first half of the 2023 campaign and was squarely in the National League MVP race going into the All-Star break. Unfortunately, he’s been on a milk carton ever since.
Murphy finished the second half of the 2023 season by hitting just .159 with a .585 OPS over his last 41 games, and those struggles were compounded by injury in 2024 after he suffered an oblique injury on Opening Day. Murphy would miss the next two months, and then picked right back up where he left off in 2023, finishing the season with a batting average below the Mendoza Line, 10 homers, and a career-low .636 OPS.
Again, the Braves dug this hole by trading for Murphy and then handing him a long-term extension before he even played a game for the club. Now, they have to lie in it. There’s really nothing they can do about it this offseason, but my question is, who the hell is Sean Murphy?
This is a guy who was one of the best defensive catchers in the league and a well above average bat for the position. He looked as if he was on the way to establishing himself as a perennial All-Star back in 2023, but that same player hasn’t been dressing out for the Braves over the last 15 months. This is a totally different guy. I’m not sure if it’s injuries, confidence, or something else, but 2025 is a critical year for Sean Murphy.
Drake Baldwin is the Braves top prospect and is just about major-league ready. It may be too early to give up on Murphy now, but if he continues to struggle this badly next year, it’s going to be time to have a serious conversation.
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Photographer: Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire
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