Atlanta Braves Sign All-Star & Gold Glove-Winning Catcher

The Atlanta Braves moved quickly to stabilize their catching depth, signing Jonah Heim to a one-year, $1.25 million deal as Sean Murphy works back from hip surgery. 

With Murphy only recently cleared to begin light running and no firm return date locked in, the early-season plan is clear: Drake Baldwin carries the bulk of the starts, and Heim slots in as the veteran safety net who can keep the position from becoming a daily grind.

Jonah Heim Gives Atlanta a Proven October Pedigree

For the Braves, this is a bet on the version of Heim that helped anchor a championship run in 2023. He was the Texas Rangers’ catcher during their World Series season, earned an All-Star starting nod, won a Gold Glove, and posted 4.0 WAR, all while giving them real punch at the plate with 18 homers and 95 RBIs. 

Braves add Jonah Heim. Atlanta needs a backup catcher with Sean Murphy beginning the season on the injured list pic.twitter.com/ermnmo0RHj

— Talkin' Baseball (@TalkinBaseball_) February 10, 2026

Atlanta is basically paying for the possibility that a change of scenery and a more protected role can get him closer to that level, even if he never fully returns to peak form. 

This past season, Heim posted a .213/.271/.332 triple-slash line, with 11 home runs, 43 RBIs, three stolen bases, and 38 runs scored across 124 games played.

What Heim’s Signing Means While Sean Murphy Recovers

Murphy’s rehab creates a real workload problem, and the Braves want to avoid overexposing Baldwin. Heim’s presence gives Atlanta more ways to deploy Baldwin, whether that’s occasional DH days to keep his bat in the lineup or simply planned rest so the rookie is not asked to shoulder everything in April. 

The risk is obvious because Heim’s last two seasons were rough, with his offense and defense both trending the wrong way, which is why he hit the market in the first place. 

Jonah Heim had a pretty bad season last year as the starting catcher. I feel like he’ll make a serviceable back up catcher. I’m hoping he can come close to his 23’ self because I know he’ll probably get traded when Murphy comes back and we could get some good value off him pic.twitter.com/yTGixd4SFM

— RileyIsKing (@BravesSufferer) February 10, 2026

Still, as a short-term bridge who has caught big games and handled big moments, Heim is the type of depth add contenders make when they are not willing to gamble their season on the third option chart. 

Over his six-year career, Heim holds a .225/.282/.371 triple-slash line, with 68 home runs, 282 RBIs, 11 stolen bases, and 222 runs scored across 608 games played, along with a 7.0 WAR.

Photo Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images