Braves urged to trade $73M injury-prone Gold Glove winner after $1.25M surprising resurgence

2026-04-07 · Yahoo Sports

Braves urged to trade $73M injury-prone Gold Glove winner after $1.25M surprising resurgence originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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The Atlanta Braves’ 2025 season was plagued by injuries, which played a major role in their struggles. However, one particularly interesting situation involved Sean Murphy, who reportedly hid an injury from the organization before finally admitting he was hurt late in the year.

“Sean Murphy's struggles over the past month were likely influenced by the right hip ailment that will be surgically repaired later this week,” MLB.com’s Mark Bowman wrote.

Murphy has yet to return to the roster in 2026, but it appears to be only a matter of time before he is back. He has begun his rehab assignments and is expected to return in late April or early May.

“Sean Murphy will be with High-A Rome on Wednesday. The Braves haven’t decided if he’ll just take live BP or begin his rehab assignment that night. Either way, it looks like he’ll be back earlier than the previous projection of early May,” Bowman posted.

In Murphy’s absence, the Braves signed World Series champion Jonah Heim to a $1.25 million deal. Since joining Atlanta, Heim has already helped guide the pitching staff to three shutouts. His performance has sparked discussion about the possibility of trading Murphy and keeping Heim as a backup to Drake Baldwin.

“The Atlanta Braves might have a logjam at the catcher position. Drake Badlwin has emerged as the clear starter, but Jonah Heim has emerged as a strong pitch caller, framer, and all-around great defensive catcher who is clearly affecting the Braves’ pitching staff. However, Sean Murphy is continuing to work his way back from a hip injury and could return soon, but that would leave the Braves at a crossroads. The best option for the Braves might be to keep Jonah Heim and offload Sean Murphy, since Heim is a much cheaper option,” Heavy.com’s TJ French wrote.

Murphy has a solid bat, which is what originally attracted the Braves to trade for him. However, he is currently on a $73 million deal, making him significantly more expensive than Heim.

Murphy’s standing with the organization may have taken a hit after hiding an injury for much of the 2025 season. Meanwhile, Heim’s ability to call shutouts early in his Braves tenure has quickly strengthened his case as a reliable game-caller.

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