In a market like this one, with so few sellers and almost three times as many buyers, it makes sense for a lot of teams to engage in both. The Braves — currently sporting the fourth-best record in baseball — will be much more interested in acquiring players, but there are a few guys under contract for multiple years who haven’t exactly lived up to expectations.

The return in such instances isn’t going to be a king’s ransom, but just getting out from under the contract while you still can could significantly help the Braves achieve their goals down the road.

Sean Murphy

Sean Murphy is an interesting trade candidate because of the market. There are so few quality catchers these days that even Murphy, who hasn’t hit above the Mendoza Line since 2023 and has played only four games this season, should still have some trade value.

Murphy is under contract at $15 million per season through the 2028 campaign, with a team option in 2029 at the same price. That’s a bit pricey given his performance over the last couple of years, but if he can stay healthy, it’s a deal that could still turn out to be a bargain the rest of the way. He’s elite defensively — a guy who can really help a pitching staff even when he’s not behind the plate — and there’s still some pop in his bat.

There are also a lot of teams looking for catchers at this year’s deadline. Surely there would be some interest if the Braves made him available, and it would at least make some sense, given Drake Baldwin is the more capable starting option and Atlanta might not want to spend $15 million a season on a backup catcher moving forward. There’s a world where they get out from under the contract and get something beneficial in return.

Murphy’s most recent injury does make it a bit tricky, but he’s nearing a return, recording five hits in his last two games for the Gwinnett Stripers on his rehab assignment.

Likelihood of a trade: 10%

—

I actually think there are a lot of good reasons for the Braves to explore their options with Sean Murphy in the coming days. They could simply look to get out from under the contract, or they could eat some of the money and get something of quality in return.

However, the reason I have the likelihood so low is that I just don’t believe the Braves want to move him. They’ve had so many problems keeping catchers healthy over the years, and dealing him now would be selling at his absolute lowest. If Murphy goes out and performs well over the final two months, there will be teams ready to make significantly better offers come the offseason.

Ha-Seong Kim

Ha-Seong Kim has been in Gwinnett on a rehab assignment over the last couple of weeks. He’s shown some signs of improvement at the plate, but nothing outlandish, and it’s tough to tell whether he’s actually gotten better until he faces major-league pitching again.

By the weekend, Kim’s rehab assignment will expire, meaning the Braves have three options — designate him for assignment, trade him, or give him one more chance in Atlanta. Given the year he’s had, it’s difficult to imagine many teams will give up anything for him. A deal would likely be a strict salary dump that saves the Braves a handful of the $20 million they agreed to pay him last offseason.

Likelihood of a trade: 20%

—

Most likely, Ha-Seong Kim gets designated for assignment at some point, but I could see the Braves giving him one more chance to see if they can salvage any return on their investment.

Spencer Strider

Spencer Strider is a lot closer to Kim than Murphy in terms of trade value. He’s making $20 million this season and is owed $22 million over each of the next two, with a $22 million club option for 2029. Given he’s not going to pitch the rest of this year and there’s real uncertainty around his future, nobody is taking on the entirety of that contract. There could be some teams interested in the upside if the Braves are willing to eat a large chunk of the money, though, which is more than possible.

Likelihood of a trade: 15%

—

It’s so hard for general managers of other teams to trade for players without knowing when they’ll be available. That’s the roadblock in any potential conversations. I do, however, think the Braves would be open to eating most of the salary and moving him if they can get anything useful in return. It does feel like Strider’s time with the organization is going to get cut way shorter than anybody expected, whether it’s at the trade deadline or sometime soon after.

—

(Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire)