Will the Atlanta Braves consider trading catcher Sean Murphy? It is a subject that was discussed early in the offseason in rumors following catcher Drake Baldwin's strong campaign in 2025. The rumors have since gone away for the most part, but MLB insider Mark Feinsand recently discussed the topic during an appearance on MLB Network.

"The Murphy contract is movable. It's not like he's making an exorbitant amount of money that a team wouldn't look at him and say, 'Well, there aren't a lot of great catchers out there.' So, I think they could move him... It wouldn't surprise me to see Murphy get moved, maybe not right now, but end of the year, middle of the year if a team is really looking for a catcher around the deadline, if they're able to extend Baldwin."

A possible Baldwin contract extension would obviously make a Murphy trade make more sense. Not only would moving on from Murphy help from a financial standpoint, but a Baldwin extension would also give Atlanta more security at the catcher position from a long-term standpoint.

With all of that being said, Murphy is under contract through 2028 and has a club option in 2029, so there is not necessarily any rush to move on from him. Baldwin is fresh off his rookie season, so he still has five years of team control remaining on his deal, meaning the Braves do not have to rush to sign him to a new contract either. 

Atlanta has been willing to give younger players on the roster long-term deals, though. If the Braves decide they want to extend Baldwin, then a Murphy trade will seemingly become much more realistic.

Murphy, 31, is currently recovering from an injury. He is expected to return within the first couple of months of the new campaign. 

From 2020-2023, he was one of the better all-around catchers in the sport. He won a Gold Glove and made an All-Star team during that span. The past two years have not gone according to plan, though. 

In 2025, Murphy hit just .199/.300/.409 across 94 games played. Meanwhile, Baldwin won the National League Rookie of the Year Award after hitting .274/.341/.469 across 124 games. He added 19 home runs and 80 RBI. It was a strong rookie season, and an incredible offensive performance for a catcher.

Baldwin is the Braves catcher of the future. The question is whether or not Atlanta will consider keeping Murphy for backup catcher/designated hitter purposes. Murphy's offensive production in recent years does not make him a strong DH candidate, but his track record may lead the Braves to give him a chance.

Feinsand, though, would not be surprised if a trade ends up coming to fruition at some point in the future. Murphys' future in Atlanta will be something to monitor in July ahead of the trade deadline.