Major League Baseball

Why the Braves acquired a top-five catcher when they already had one

Updated Feb. 22, 2023 6:13 p.m. ET

NORTH PORT, Fla. — In early December, Atlanta Braves catcher Travis d’Arnaud landed in Los Angeles after a cross-country flight to a phone full of notifications and a new teammate.

The 34-year-old had been in Georgia for the weekend at former teammate Dansby Swanson’s wedding. By all accounts, it was a predictably lovely time. A chance to unplug, see some old friends, kick back and celebrate. But d’Arnaud’s all-day journey on Sunday to his offseason home in Southern California was more eventful than the typical return flight.

While the 2022 All-Star was up in the air, his team finalized a blockbuster trade for another one of the league’s most productive backstops, acquiring Sean Murphy from the Oakland A’s in a three-way swap that took the baseball world by surprise. A trade involving Murphy, widely considered the offseason’s top trade piece, was a foregone conclusion, but nobody expected the Braves, a club that already had d’Arnaud and fellow 2022 All-Star William Contreras on its roster, to swoop in for the kill.

d’Arnaud, on the other hand, was not surprised to see the news. And that’s because while he was on the plane, he’d received a text from team general manager Alex Anthopolous informing him of the trade hours before it went public. Anthopolous had called and left a voice message, but d’Arnaud didn’t get it until he landed at LAX because, well, he was thousands of feet above the earth.

"I appreciated that a lot," d’Arnaud told FOX Sports after a recent spring training workout, "It just showed that he respects me a lot, how open and honest he was."

Anthopolous also checked in with Braves catching coach Sal Fasano before consummating the trade to ensure that the addition of Murphy wouldn’t irk one of the team’s most respected figures or foster any clubhouse discord. But while Fasano and d’Arnaud welcomed Anthopolous’ attention to detail, both wholly disregarded the idea that the arrival of Murphy could create any friction.

"If you’ve ever met Travis," Fasano assured. "You know that wouldn’t be an issue at all."

"I care the most about winning and I know how good of a player Murphy is." said d’Arnaud. "So yeah, I was totally fine."

In 2022, d’Arnaud and Murphy each finished in the top five in fWAR among catchers. Murphy solidified his position as one of the best at the position, posting a 5.1 fWAR, while d’Arnaud contributed immense value (3.9 fWAR) in just 107 games. Both players also ranked as outstanding defenders at the game’s most demanding position.

But unless MLB comes up with a wacky new set of rules, only one person can play catcher at a time. So why did the Braves trade for Murphy instead of acquiring shortstop or a left fielder, positions that are much bigger question marks on the rosters?

It’s all about the knees.

"We’re going to maximize both guys because it’s gonna help save their legs." Fasano explained. "Right now we're in a position where we're not going to sacrifice anything."

There is no more physically taxing position in sports than catcher. Between the hours spent squatting and the endless hailstorm of foul balls off the mask, it’s no surprise that catchers, as a unit, have the worst offensive output of any position by a wide margin. Catching alone is an exhausting job, and then you want these guys to hit?

But having two elite catchers should allow the Braves to keep d’Arnaud and Murphy fresh. And barring injuries, the Braves could have a top-five catcher starting behind the dish for all 162 games. If the Orioles get 140 starts from Adley Rutschman, a best-case scenario, that leaves 22 games with a significant drop-off at catcher. The same goes for the Dodgers and Will Smith, the Phillies and J.T. Realmuto.

The Braves, if everything goes to plan, will avoid such variance. That's a huge deal for a team that prioritizes the catching position more than others. Switching between d’Arnaud and Murphy behind the plate should keep both catchers healthier, which, in theory, should lead to better offensive production for both.

‘The Really Good’ Catcher Tier

Ben Verlander and Alex Curry rank MLB's catchers and have the Braves' Sean Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud in "The Really Good" tier. Do you agree?

"I’m expecting there will be at-bats where I feel 30 pounds lighter than I normally do." anticipated d’Arnaud, who is expected to see time at DH whenever Murphy catches and vice versa. "And honestly, [the Murphy trade] gives me a better chance of running around with my kids instead of getting knee surgeries."

That’s something the well-mustachioed Fasano, who spends hours a day at camp with d’Arnaud, Murphy and the organization’s other catchers, understands all too well.

A former 16-year pro, Fasano has had three knee surgeries stemming from issues from his playing days. And though he’s moving better than he has in a while, the 51-year-old still walks around the Braves facility with a slight hitch after all those surgeries and years behind the dish. As the team’s catching czar, Fasano is incredibly intentional about creating drill work that include as little time in the squat as possible.

When Anthopolous reached out to inquire about Murphy, Fasano was all for it. In fact, Fasano initially championed Murphy’s defensive prowess to the front office last June after the Braves faced off against the Athletics. Atlanta’s backup catcher Manny Piña had recently undergone wrist surgery that would keep him out for the whole season, so the team was discussing alternate catching options.

Fasano implored his superiors to consider Murphy.

"I watched him in that series and he was just awesome behind the plate." Fasano remembered "Hands strong as an ox."

That defensive component was a huge factor in Atlanta’s decision to deal away Contreras in favor of Murphy. While team officials and coaches genuinely believed that Contreras could develop into a worthy game-caller and receiver, the Braves are in win-now mode. It’s much more complicated for a team to help along an improving catcher when wins and losses are the priority. Murphy is elite behind the plate right now and can help the Braves prevent runs today instead of tomorrow.

And while Fasano was eyeing Murphy from across the field last June, Murphy was simultaneously noticing how the Braves went about their business.

"We played the Astros a lot" said Murphy, whose four years in the majors had all been with the A's. "And the Braves were the most impressive team we saw last year."

Now, Murphy is in position to contribute to that well-oiled machine. And, so far, so good.

"Travis and Sal and I, we're a team. Already that's clear," he said. "There’s no competition. It’s one group and we're all worried about winning. That's the only thing that matters"

Jake Mintz, the louder half of @CespedesBBQ is a baseball writer for FOX Sports. He’s an Orioles fan living in New York City, and thus, he leads a lonely existence most Octobers. If he’s not watching baseball, he’s almost certainly riding his bike. Follow him on Twitter at @Jake_Mintz.

More Baseball from FOX Sports:

Top stories from FOX Sports: