The Braves big splash last offseason was a peculiar one. With two already formidable catchers on the roster, one being an All-Star in Travis d’Arnaud and the other being a potentially budding superstar in Williams Contreras, Alex Anthopoulos swung a three-team trade for Sean Murphy.
In return, the Braves sent the Athletics Kyle Muller, Freddy Tarnok, Joey Estes, and Royber Salinas. They also sent the Brewers William Contreras. It was a steep price to pay, but the move was followed by a subsequent six-year, $73 million extension for Sean Murphy, and at the time, it was met with glowing praise from national media outlets.
It shouldn’t surprise anyone that the Athletics got the short end of the stick. Kyle Muller has been abysmal since the trade, Freddy Tarnok dealt with injuries most of last year, and Joey Estes really struggled after he was promoted from AA. Â The Athletics did also receive Esteury Ruiz in the trade from the Brewers, who flashed a decent contact bat and incredible speed, swiping 67 bags in 132 games last season. However, he still managed to finish the year with a negative WAR.
I wouldn’t consider the Braves losers in this trade. At the end of the day, they still acquired a bonafide top-five catcher in the game, whose defense is second to none. With that being said, it looks like they already had one on the roster, one that wasn’t set to hit free agency until 2027.
The Brewers are the team that made out like bandits in this trade. Somehow, all they had to give up was their 8th ranked prospect in Esteury Ruiz, and in return, they received William Contreras, who led all catchers in fWAR last season. The Athletics not receiving the second-best player in this deal at the time of the trade will always blow my mind, and it now looks like Contreras is actually the prize of the trade.
When the Braves were evaluating their roster last offseason, it’s evident they felt like they needed to upgrade the catcher position defensively. Murphy was already an established Gold Glove backstop, and Contreras struggled at times defensively early in his career. But the Brewers believed they could help in that area, and it didn’t take long.
Contreras cut his strikeout rate by seven percent, setting career-highs in batting average and on-base percentage, but the real improvements came behind the plate. In 2022 for the Braves, Contreras was a below average defensive catcher. Last season, he was rated better than Sean Murphy, according to FanGraphs. Offense has never been the issue, and what’s crazy is Contreras could be even better in 2024 if his defense continues to improve and he hits for more power, which he is plenty capable of after recording just 17 homers last season.
It’s difficult to ever look at acquiring an All-Star catcher like Sean Murphy as a negative. The Braves are going to be just fine with him behind the plate for the foreseeable future. There’s also no telling if William Contreras would have experienced the same defensive improvements in Atlanta as he did in Milwaukee. The Brewers clearly saw something in him, and it’s worked out in their favor.
Wild Bill was a fan favorite with the Braves. It’s awesome to see him blossom into one of the premier catchers in the game at such a young age, but this could end up being one of the few trades Alex Anthopoulos did not win outright. I gave the Sean Murphy trade a C- right after it happened, and I would say that’s looking like a fair grade after one season.Â
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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