It’s fair to assume that the New York Yankees will be very active in player transactions this offseason.
With players like Trent Grisham, Jazz Chisholm Jr., and Paul Goldschmidt all set for free agency, the Yankees may have some open payroll to land a star player via trade.
Among the biggest needs for the New York Yankees this offseason is a backup catcher, and while his contract might be a bit concerning, New York should reach out to Atlanta to inquire about Braves’ catcher Sean Murphy.
More MLB on Heavy: 6-Year New York Yankees Player Officially A Free Agent After Injury-Riddled Season
Yankees-Braves Trade Pitch for Sean Murphy
Look, there’s no sugarcoating that Sean Murphy hasn’t been great in recent seasons, but for the Yankees, they don’t necessarily need to break the proverbial prospect bank on a backup catcher.
But instead, try to land a capable backstop to help alleviate some pressure off Austin Wells.
While it wasn’t a perfect scenario, the Atlanta Braves excelled with the 1-2 catcher duo of Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy.
In this trade pitch, the New York Yankees land Sean Murphy in exchange for prospect Jace Avina.
The kicker in this deal is that the Yankees would have to take on some of Murphy’s six-year, $73 million contract, but Atlanta might actually be so willing to offload Murphy that they come to a compromise on the contract, and New York acquires Murphy for a discounted price.
In that case, if the Yankees are unable to land any of their other big targets via free agency or a meaningful trade, Murphy is a logical fit.
As for Jace Avina being the trade chip in the idea, he’s the Yankees’ No. 24 prospect and is a 23 y/o outfield prospect.
More MLB on Heavy: Atlanta Braves World Series Champion Officially an MLB Free Agent
Taking a Quick Look at Sean Murphy’s MLB Career
While Sean Murphy’s $73 million contract seems like a glaring red flag for the Yankees front office, he only has a couple years left on his deal, and has shown the ability to be an All-Star level player with a strong display of power.
Murphy has played eight years in Major League Baseball, with time split between the Atlanta Braves and the Athletics.
Over 637 total games in his career, Murphy has 96 home runs and 295 runs driven in.
While he’s failed to appear in 100+ games in each of the past three seasons, Murphy has still provided some power while on the diamond.
In his last 199 games, Murphy has 29 home runs, 22 doubles, and 80 RBI.
His age (32) is also a bit of a concern, but again, this is such a “buy-low” opportunity, and it’s not like the Yankees would be depending on Murphy to carry their offense.
Could be worth a thought if you are Brian Cashman…
More MLB on Heavy: New York Yankees Urged to Part Ways with 7X MLB All-Star in Offseason Move
New York Yankees Trade Pitch Lands Braves’ $73 Million All-Star