The Atlanta Braves have had a fairly quiet offseason. With the exception of one major trade, that saw them land catcher Sean Murphy, Atlanta didn’t upgrade their team all that much. The Braves also lost players such as SS Dansby Swanson and RP Kenley Jansen in MLB free agency. But Atlanta is still expecting to compete in the talented National League East this offseason.
The New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies both upgraded their teams and made a number of risky moves. So what was the Braves’ riskiest move of the offseason?
Braves’ riskiest MLB offseason move
One could make the argument that allowing Dansby Swanson to leave in free agency was their riskiest move. Handing over shortstop duties to Vaughn Grissom, who’s listed as their shortstop on the depth chart via CBS Sports, brings plenty of uncertainty. But Grissom has shown signs of potential and could be a star in the making.
But the Braves’ riskiest MLB offseason move was the Sean Murphy 3-team trade without question. However, it was a risky decision for a number of different reasons.
Why the Sean Murphy 3-team trade was risky
The Braves surrendered prospects in Kyle Muller and Freddy Tarnok to acquire Murphy. Additionally, Royber Salinas was sent to Oakland in the Athletics’ prospect trade haul.
Muller looked like a budding star at times last year. His fastball/curveball mix has primed him for a steady big league career. He’s someone who could impact the Athletics as soon as this season.
Tarnok was a Braves’ top 10 prospect in 2022. He’s a fellow big league ready player who features a plus-fastball. As many young prospects are prone to struggling with, he has battled command issues at times. But the upside is high if he can reel in his control.
As aforementioned, this was a 3-team trade. The Braves had a plethora of catching depth so they traded William Contreras to the Milwaukee Brewers. However, they already have Travis d’Arnaud on the roster. Acquiring Murphy for a haul of talented prospects and a power-hitting catcher like Contreras is risky to say the least.
In all fairness, Contreras may become a DH/1B at some point in his career. But he is fresh off of a season where he clubbed 20 home runs for Atlanta. He posted an .860 OPS as well and made the NL All-Star team. Atlanta might end up regretting letting him go.
Final thoughts
The Braves offseason may be regarded as unspectacular by many. They have now lost stars (Dansby Swanson and Freddie Freeman) in back-to-back seasons. Freeman and Swanson were both faces of the franchise-type players who gave the team a sense of identify. Although Atlanta features no shortage of talented young players, it will be interesting to see who steps up and provides leadership in 2023 and beyond.
Austin Riley may fill that role, and Ronald Acuna Jr is also a candidate.
But one has to wonder if the Braves will be able to compete in the NL East this season. The Mets upgraded in a major way and Philadelphia is ready to take the next step.
Sean Murphy will help the Braves in the long run. He’s a strong fielding catcher who offers defensive prowess. But the trade was still risky as a result of what Atlanta had to give up to acquire him from the A’s.
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