Could Braves make this improbable trade this offseason?

The Braves don’t have a lot of wiggle room this offseason, with so many of their everyday players locked into long-term deals, but they do have a lot of potential holes that need filling.

The rotation could be addressed with the possible departures of Max Fried and Charlie Morton. The bullpen could use another southpaw with A.J. Minter’s free agency looming. The outfield needs significant attention, whether that’s a couple of everyday players to assume left and right field duties or some combination of the two. A lot of that depends on Ronald Acuna Jr.’s timeline and availability.

Replacing Orlando Arcia is at the top of every Braves fans’ wishlist this offseason, but finding a reasonable upgrade at an affordable price may prove to be impossible. The options are limited, and Alex Anthopoulos has never been one to get into a bidding war in free agency. Arcia being in the Opening Day lineup is the most likely outcome.

Other than that, there’s not much Anthopoulos can do this winter… but is there an out-of-the-box move the Braves could pull off? How about a Sean Murphy trade? Hear me out.

I want to preface how unlikely a Sean Murphy trade is before getting into the reasons it could make sense. Atlanta sunk a lot into Murphy when they traded for him two years ago. Secondly, selling that low on an asset is very bad business. Thirdly, his 2024 campaign was marred by injuries and inconsistencies, and I don’t think that’s who he is at the core.

Again, it’s not likely, but let’s take a trip to Fairyworld and imagine the scenario playing out.

The Braves have more catchers than they know what to do with, similar to the situation a few years ago with Travis d’Arnaud, William Contreras, and Shea Langeliers. Eventually, the club traded the two youngsters for Sean Murphy and Matt Olson.

There’s probably a bit of buyer’s remorse from the Contreras deal, which is why a subsequent trade of Murphy could be on the table. There’s a shortage of quality catchers in this league, so even though Murphy is coming off a disappointing season with the stick, there would still be a demand for him. He’s elite behind the plate, has shown an ability to get as hot as Hades with the stick, and is under team control through 2028 with a club option for 2029. There would be a market for Murphy if Anthopoulos sees fit.

But this entire hypothetical hinges on how the Braves view Drake Baldwin. He’s the club’s top prospect and is banging on the door of the majors. The Braves could use him as trade bait, but if they view him as the next star to come up through the system, somebody has to go, and Murphy makes the most sense.

Of course, the stick isn’t the concern for Drake Baldwin. It’s calling a game, which is incredibly difficult. The nuances of calling a game cannot be learned in a single offseason in North Port. The Braves place a high emphasis on defense behind the plate, which is why they traded for Sean Murphy in the first place.

That’s why putting all of their eggs in the basket of Drake Baldwin might be premature, but eventually, this is a situation that will have to be addressed.