MLB’s hot stove season has officially begun, and the league is already buzzing with major moves. Three blockbuster trades went down last week, each poised to significantly impact the 2026 season.
The Atlanta Braves pulled off a moderately notable deal by sending Nick Allen to the Houston Astros in exchange for Mauricio Dubón. Still, Atlanta has plenty of avenues to make a bigger mark on the trade market — including the possibility of dealing former All-Star catcher Sean Murphy.
Braves catcher Sean Murphy was the subject of some trade rumors back in July, but he ultimately ended up staying put. Now that the offseason is here, it’s time for speculation once again on who could be on the move.
In this hypothetical trade idea, the Atlanta Braves offload Sean Murphy to the Tampa Bay Rays in return for starter Shane Baz and prospect Xavier Isaac.
The biggest hurdle in this potential deal is whether the Rays would be willing to take on part of Murphy’s six-year, $73 million contract, which runs through the 2028 season.
However, when you take a look at the Rays’ depth chart at catcher, it is rather thin. Nick Fortes is the starter at the moment, and Hunter Feduccia is his backup. As physically demanding as catching is, the best teams in MLB have a backstop who is able to hit as well. Also, when you consider that the NL Rookie of the Year was Drake Baldwin in 2025, it might be hard to find meaningful at-bats every day for both Baldwin and Murphy.
Despite hitting just .199 in 2025, Sean Murphy posted a 98 OPS+ and hit 29 extra-base hits (16 HRs) in just 94 games. 2023 was Murphy’s best season as a pro, and it came in his first season after being traded to the Braves from the Athletics. He posted a 127 OPS+, which is stellar for a catcher, and hit 21 home runs and 21 doubles.
Leave a Reply