Before the 2022 season kicked off, the catching market was thin and a lockout was looming. Alex Anthopoulos wisely inked Manny Piña to a two-year deal with an option in 2024. Unfortunately, Piña suffered a wrist injury in May and only got 14 at-bats with the Braves.
Manny Piña will undergo wrist surgery and miss the rest of the season
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) May 11, 2022
The Braves got extremely lucky that William Contreras and Travis d’Arnaud were as excellent as they were in 2022. Contreras clubbed 20 home runs, and d’Arnaud chipped in 18 bombs of his own and finished as a Rawlings Gold Glove finalist.
The Braves brought Manny Piña in for his defense and power against left-handed pitching. However, with Contreras’ emergence and d’Arnaud under team control until at least 2024, will the Braves look to move Piña?
I think it all depends on the market. Catching could be at a premium again, and if some team gets really needy, the Braves could address a different sore spot on their roster. It could come in the form of a bullpen piece, bench bat, or potentially a younger low-level prospect to refill their barren farm system. I see no issues with holding onto Piña either, so long as you can get Contreras consistent at bats. The Braves have a ton of other decisions to make, so perhaps they look to keep Piña until some of those other moves are settled.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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