The Braves get the best player in Murphy, a strong two-way player who won a Gold Glove in 2021, and broke out with his best offensive season in 2022, and if you get the best player in a trade, there's a strong
The Braves have two All-Star catchers on their roster, one of which started the All-Star Game at designated hitter. Six players were traded for Murphy.
He is also really good. Murphy ranked seventh among catchers in wrc+ with a.250/.332/.426 batting average. He has a.684 OPS in Oakland and.820 on the road, and moving to Atlanta will give him a boost. He had 18 home runs with the A's. The Braves have three years of team control on Murphy who adds to their already impressive collection of under 30 talent.
Opening day age: Michael Harris II (22) Vaughn Grissom (22)Spencer Strider (24)Ronald Acuña Jr. (25) Austin Riley (25)Mike Soroka (25)Ozzie Albies (26)Kyle Wright (27)Sean Murphy (28)Matt Olson (29)Max Fried (29)
Terrifying.
— Paul Hembekides (@PaulHembo) December 12, 2022
It would be no surprise to see the Braves sign Murphy to a long-term extension like they did last year when they acquired Matt Olson from the A's.
The Braves gave up a good hitter in Contreras, who hit................, who hit..... He has a lot of swing and miss in his game, but he takes some walks like his older brother Willson. The Braves had enough concerns about his defensive chops that they wanted to upgrade with Murphy. Murphy is seen as a strong leader for the pitching staff. The Braves have two of the top six catchers in the world in d'Arnaud and Murphy.
With new rules limiting pickoff throws and increasing the size of bases, that weakness could be exploited in the future.
Some of baseball's biggest names are cashing in this off-season.
The winter meetings had some things to say.
The spending spree is inside the WM.
There is a judge again. What do the Yankees do this winter?
The Mets spent money in the off-season.
The Brewers got him for his bat, not his defense, since he turns 25 in a couple weeks. The catchers hit just.200 with 12 home runs, so the upgrade is obvious. He should move into the middle of the order because his.860 OPS last season was higher than any other player on the Brewers. The Brewers were able to fill a weak hole in the lineup without giving up a member of the 2023 team.
That may be underselling him a little. He came over to the Brewers in the Josh Hader deal, and his minor league numbers were some of the best of his career, with 16 home runs and 85 stolen bases between Double-A and Triple-A. He had plate discipline with 96 strikeouts and 66 walks. He is a divisive idea. While that stat line makes him look like a speedster with some pop, his exit velocities in the minor leagues are weak, and some analysts don't think he will hit for much power in the majors. He's an exciting prospect, but his ceiling may be more of a fourth outfielder if the run game returns to the sport.
Both Muller and Tarnok have already reached the majors and are exactly the type of prospects the A's love to look out for. Muller, a big lefty with a plus changeup, was able to control some of the control issues that had plagued him in the past, at least in Triple-A. He has made 11 career starts in the majors and has a 5.14 earned run average, but there's mid- rotation potential if he can throw strikes. Between Double-A and Triple-A, Tarnok had a 4.1. He is going to have to improve his command and cut down on home runs in order to be a good pitcher.
Salinas was a 21-year-old right-handed pitcher in Class A who struck out 175 hitters in a career-high109 pitches. He's a reasonable risk for a team like the A's, even though he walked too many.
Baseball America and MLB.com both had Muller as the Braves' top prospect. If those four pan out, there is a path for the A's to have more depth in this deal. There's a chance that they didn't acquire any star power and instead traded away a very valuable player in Murphy.
Even though the Braves traded away three of their top 10 prospects, they still look like winners. Murphy is going to be a major upgrade for the defense. The Braves have done a lot over the past couple of years, and with d'Arnaud a potential free agent after 2023, they have their catching position shored up. The Brewers have a bunch of other outfielders who are ready to make an impact in the majors, so they don't have to give up much. There is a chance that Contreras could hit 30 homers in that park. The Brewers will be happy if that is the case.
It doesn't make it any easier for Oakland fans to accept a Murphy trade. If the A's get four 2-WAR players, that's an important depth for an organization like Oakland. I'm not sure they got a sure-fire prospect.
Grades for the Braves are A.
Brewers grade: A
A's grade: C
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