MLB Trade Rumors: 2 Teams Looking To Pry Sean Murphy From Braves

The Atlanta Braves are sellers at this month's trade deadline, but with the team still stocked with enough talent to be a contender again next season, just how many pieces GM Alex Anthopoulos will be willing to trade is in question.

One position that he can potentially deal from is catcher, with rookie backstop Drake Baldwin having a tremendous start to his major league career. The 24-year-old, in his first 62 games and 200 plate appearances, has batted .276 with an .838 OPS, 11 homers, and a 133 OPS+.

That leaves 30-year-old Sean Murphy, with four years and $60 million remaining on his seven-year deal, as a potential big piece to move. Insider Jim Bowden said on the Foul Territory podcast Friday morning that Murphy would certainly be in demand.

I've heard that there are two teams in particular, San Diego and Tampa Bay, that would like to pry Sean Murphy from them, knowing they have Drake Baldwin as their long-term catcher there.

San Diego Padres

The Padres are 27th in baseball with a .199 batting average from their catchers, and 28th in OPS at .574. With the team battling tooth and nail for playoff positioning (currently a half-game back of a Wild Card spot entering Friday's play), adding a legit starting catcher like Murphy would be a huge boost. He has 13 homers in 57 games thus far, with a 117 OPS+.

Tampa Bay Rays

The Rays are 25th in baseball in OPS from the catching spot, at .600, and 28th in batting average at .192.

But what is the impact on a pitching staff when a contending team brings in a starting catcher midseason? According to Bowden, "It depends on the team. (Murphy) would be a significant pickup for either team in handling their pitching staff, and be a plus... Nothing against Danny Jansen (Rays) or Martin Maldonado (Padres), but Murphy would be an upgrade."

As for the Braves, they are in no rush to trade Murphy. They will likely trade DH Marcell Ozuna, a pending free agent, so Murphy and Baldwin could easily alternate between catcher and DH the rest of the season.

That means it would take a huge offer to pry loose Murphy.