Jun 6, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy (12) looks on against the San Francisco Giants during the sixth inning at Oracle Park. Mandatory Credit: Robert Edwards-Imagn Images Robert Edwards-Imagn Images

Could Houston Astros Pull Off Trade for NL East Slugger Ahead of Trade Deadline?

Originally posted on Houston Astros on SI | By Jacob Moss | Last updated Jun 9, 2025 1:00 PM ET

The Houston Astros have been on absolute fire over the past several weeks, rocketing up the AL West standings to a division-leading 36-29 record. This comes after the team suffered some early growing pains, which caused them to get off to a somewhat slow start.

Those struggles have long been in the rearview mirror, though, and the Astros have since morphed into one of the most complete teams in all of baseball, both at the plate and on the pitcher's mound.

Despite the team coming into its own as of late, there's always room for improvement. For the Astros, the catcher position could be viewed as one of these areas at next month's trade deadline.

Houston has a solid tandem anchoring the backstop in veterans Victor Carantini and Yanier Diaz. Still, there could be a potential upgrade available that would elevate their already stout lineup even further.

The player in question would be the Atlanta Braves All-Star catcher Sean Murphy, who appears to be on the verge of losing his starting role to upstart rookie Drake Baldwin.

Your National League Rookie of the Month: Drake Baldwin! pic.twitter.com/UdjmcZBcqQ
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) June 3, 2025

On paper, Murphy's stats don't necessarily wow, as he's currently slashing .214/.320/.450. to go along with nine homers and 21 RBIs, but this could also simply be a matter of Murphy needing a change of scenery.

He missed the first month of the season with a lingering injury he suffered in spring training, and as such he's had to split starts with the aforementioned Baldwin since his return.

The last season Murphy was the full-time starter was in 2023, and he was an All-Star for Atlanta while also being a core part of their record-setting offense that season. He also boasts some of the best defense of any backstop in baseball, which hasn't dropped off at all despite his struggles at the plate.

With the Braves season quickly slipping away and Murphy looking to be in desperate need of a change of scenery, things could line up perfectly for Houston to swoop in and add the veteran slugger.

In addition to the immense upside Murphy has shown in recent years, he also brings along a very solid contract that will grant the Astros control through the 2029 campaign.

It would definitely be a gamble, but if Atlanta is willing to part with Murphy for a decent price, it seems like a risk well worth taking for Houston.

This article first appeared on Houston Astros on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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