With the Atlanta Braves being 13.5 games out of first place in the NL East, 10 games out of the final card spot, and 12 games under .500 with three of their five starting pitchers out until at least September there’s no reason for General Manager Alex Anthopoulos to have a buying mindset for the July 31st trade deadline.
Now, Anthopoulos has already come out and said he’s never really been a seller, but earlier today on The Morning Shift Mike Johnson said he thinks the Braves should trade catcher Sean Murphy “in a heart beat” for the right package in return.
“I’m just gonna be real with you. I would trade him [Sean Murphy] in a heart beat, and it’s not that I don’t like Sean Murphy and I understand the whole two catcher thing. I think he’s $12 million-dollars a year, he’s still under contract for three more years, I’d find the cheaper option and I’d get prospects back in return and I’d try to find some more bullpen arms and starting pitchers”. Mike Johnson said
Beau Morgan disagrees because he doesn’t think the return on a potential Sean Murphy trade would be as big as Mike or others thinks it would be.
“I think that’s great, I just don’t think you’re getting as much back as people believe.” Beau said
After dealing with injuries most of last season and a little bit at the beginning of this season a healthy Sean Murphy has been one of the few bright spots of this Braves team and this Braves offense.
Rumors have begun to swirl that the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays are interested in Murphy, so if the interest and market is big enough for the Braves’ catcher to demand a solid return maybe Alex Anthopoulos will be a seller after all.