Atlanta Braves Have a Good Catching Problem, But It Needs Solving

The Atlanta Braves enter the 2025 offseason with a problem, one that is a good one to have. They have two catchers who are worthy of the starting job, veteran Sean Murphy and rookie Drake Baldwin. 

Murphy was in the midst of a rebound season before an injury eventually took him out. It proved to be the culprit for a major slump he was stuck in during his final month of play. Meanwhile, Baldwin stepped up in Murphy’s absence and is a candidate for rookie of the year. 

The Braves are going to have to decide how they want to approach next season. It’s mainly a question of how to handle Murphy. Baldwin is here to stay after his meteoric rise. 

Either the Braves could try to find a way to utilize them both, or they move on from Murphy. Let’s look at the pros and cons of either decision. 

Keep Murphy and Using Both

This scenario would likely involve using one as a catcher one day and the other as a designated hitter the other. This has been done by the Braves multiple times with different catchers, including these two. Leaving either on the bench is a non-starter this year, especially Baldwin. If Murphy is healthy, this option can work. 

In 73 games heading into August, Murphy was batting .233 with an .823 OPS with 16 home runs and 42 RBIs. Even with the lingering injury, he was a net positive for the team. Once the hip finally gave out, the production went out the window. 

Should the Braves keep him around, he should be healed up and would likely put on a strong performance all year. There is a possibility of another injury that sets him back, but keep in mind that some were freak accidents. His injury to begin last season was a cracked rib that he suffered on a hit by pitch.

Assuming Baldwin follows up on his clutch rookie campaign, the Braves' lineup is in a better spot with both a healthy Murphy and Baldwin together. 

There are some drawbacks. One is that you forfeit having a full-time designated hitter. The other is that you must have a third catcher on the active roster at all times. The team's preference seems to be having a full-time DH instead of using both catchers in this way.

This scenario also eliminates a potential extra bat that contributes to the lineup. If everything goes to plan, you’re set. However, if it doesn’t, you don’t have the option. Having a third catcher also means missed depth in other areas the team could need. 

Murphy is also an expensive platoon option. He’s set to make $15 million per year over the next four seasons. As a full-time catcher, it’s a fair price. It’s not quite as good a deal if he’s also not being used as a catcher every game.

Move on From Murphy

The benefit here is sticking with Drake Baldwin. Start a new era. Murphy’s contract is off the books. Perhaps they get some help in return that helps the team win now and going forward. 

Depending on what comes in return, they either have younger, affordable assets or they simply take on a contract that makes more sense. Perhaps they acquire a starting pitcher or shortstop that had a similar price tag. Even if it’s a higher one, not having to pay Murphy would help alleviate the pressure of the new hypothetical contract. 

The Braves simply have a true backup catcher at a low cost in this situation. The downside here is that if Baldwin takes a day off, they have to forfeit a quality bat in the lineup. That doesn’t happen with Murphy sticking around as an option. 

On the flip side, you could make the argument that someone else would have to DH at some point, too. An argument here is that it’s easier to find an option at another position to DH for a night than it would be to have someone not available to catch. 

For example, Eli White DHing for a night when either Baldwin or Murphy needs a night off would likely go better than a random backup catcher in the lineup. It shows how many different scenarios the Braves have to assess before making a decision. 

It’s a long offseason. Anything can happen. The only certainty if we know one of these scenarios will play out in due time. 

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