The Atlanta Braves have already punched their ticket to the postseason by winning the NL East.
However, after dropping their series opener to the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday evening, Atlanta is likely headed to the NL Wild Card round, where it’s wide open on who they might have to face.
Looking at Tuesday’s game, Braves’ catcher Sean Murphy went 0-for-3 on the night with two strikeouts.
Since returning from the IL, Sean Murphy has really struggled at the plate, and he is still owed a lot of money by the Atlanta Braves.
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Looking at Sean Murphy’s $73 Million Contract
Sean Murphy signed a six-year, $73 million contract extension with the Atlanta Braves before the 2023 season.
He showed strong early returns by being named an All-Star in 2023, but injuries have piled up since, and in the three years following that 2023 campaign, Murphy has failed to play in over 100 games + hit above .200 in each season.
His Spotrac.com page does a good job outlining Murphy’s contract and indicates that he is owed $15 million by the Braves in 2027 and 2028. Beyond 2028, there is a club option for $15 million, and unless Murphy turns it around offensively before the 2029 season, Atlanta will likely choose to decline that player option.
In 29 games played this season, Sean Murphy is batting .173 with a -0.2 bWAR, three home runs, 34 strikeouts, and an OPS+ of 51. Since posting a strong 127 OPS+ in 2023, that “tell-all” offensive statistic has dropped considerably for Murphy over the last few years.
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Quickly Looking at Sean Murphy’s MLB Career
Before we take a quick look at Sean Murphy’s career, it’s important to note that Murphy really only gets in the lineup every other day or so, with Drake Baldwin also being a mainstay behind the plate for Atlanta.
However, Baldwin is also in need of a contract extension, and it’s interesting to think about how Baldwin’s extension talks are being affected by Sean Murphy.
Murphy, 31, is obviously aging, but he’s still a great defensive catcher, and he knows how to manage the pitching staff.
He is an MLB veteran of eight seasons.
Across 633 total MLB games played, Murphy carries a lifetime batting average of .226 with 96 home runs, 295 RBI, and a career OPS+ of 107.
Power used to be Murphy’s calling card, and he can still show some long ball, but stacking injuries are clearly affecting his offensive role.
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