A year after sending an MLB-leading eight All-Stars to Seattle, the Braves will be lucky to get half that to Texas this year.
However, an old friend has just reached a career milestone as William Contreras earned All-Star honors for the second time in his career, first as a starter. Dating back to last season, when Wild Bill became a member of the Brewers, he leads all MLB catchers with 8.3 WAR.
On the season, Contreras boasts a .292 average to go with 10 home runs and 51 RBIs, but it’s his improved defense behind the plate that is most impressive. He came to Milwaukee as an offense-first player and has quickly become a more than reliable backstop.
Two offseasons ago, the Braves sent William Contreras to the Brewers in a three-team trade with the Athletics in exchange for Sean Murphy. The Braves certainly didn’t come out of the deal looking like idiots. That award goes to the A’s, but as Contreras thrives in his new threads, it looks worse and worse for Atlanta.
Sean Murphy is no scrub. Hell, he was an All-Star last year and projects as an elite player at his position, but there’s no arguing that William Contreras and the three pitching prospects the Braves traded away would’ve been preferred.
He is just 26 years old and under team control through 2027 at a very team-friendly price, so it would have to take some severe regression from Contreras and continued success from Murphy for the Braves to look like “winners” of this trade. It might just be the one trade that Alex Anthopoulos wants back.
We can still congratulate Wild Bill Contreras and his accomplishment of being named the NL’s starting catcher.
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Larry Radloff/Icon Sportswire
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