One of the more puzzling moves of Alex Anthopoulos’ tenure was the blockbuster three-team deal that sent William Contreras to the Brewers and brought Sean Murphy to Atlanta.
At the time, “Wild Bill” was still early in his career but had already made an All-Star appearance, posting an .860 OPS across 97 games in 2022. The Braves later admitted the trade stemmed from pitchers not being fully comfortable throwing to Contreras, whereas Murphy’s biggest strength lies in his defense and ability to manage a staff.
The issue? Contreras has made major strides in that exact area with Milwaukee while continuing to thrive at the plate. Since the trade, he’s racked up 15.0 fWAR — second among all catchers behind Cal Raleigh, the AL MVP favorite — while Murphy has managed just 7.8 fWAR in the same stretch.
It’s nearly impossible to frame the move as a win for Atlanta. Beyond parting with Contreras, the Braves also dealt three pitching prospects to Oakland. Murphy, meanwhile, hasn’t batted above .200 in either of the last two years, and nagging injuries have only compounded the problem.
And Contreras isn’t the only catcher Atlanta regrets letting go. In the trade that brought Matt Olson, the Braves also gave up Shea Langeliers, who has since blossomed into a productive big leaguer. Now 27, Langeliers is breaking out with a .266 average, 30 homers, and an .860 OPS — numbers Murphy has never touched in his career.
With top prospect Drake Baldwin also climbing the ranks, Atlanta has produced three catchers in the past five years who look more valuable than Murphy. The silver lining: the Braves clearly excel at developing the position. The drawback: they never should’ve made the Murphy deal, let alone locked him into a long-term contract.
Next time Atlanta moves a catcher, fans will be hoping it’s Murphy on his way out — not his replacement.
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