The Braves are unlikely to trade Travis d’Arnaud

Atlanta catcher acquisition Shaun Murphy In a three-team trade with the A’s and Brewers has led to some speculation about the possibility of trading the veteran Travis Darno, who Murphy knocked out as the starter the moment he was acquired. but, David O’Brien writes for The Athletic that Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos was “adamant” that he had no intention of trading Arno, who the team values ​​as a veteran captain — other than his contributions with the bat and behind the plate.

Heading into the 2023 season, it looks like Murphy and Darno will hold timeshares behind the plate, giving the World Class designated hitter the Braves the opportunity to get both catchers in the lineup on occasion. If the plan is to get d’Arnaud, who has snapped .268/.319/.472 with a career-high 18 home runs, into a DH lineup with any degree of regularity, that might bode well. Chadwick TrumpHis chances of making the list are third in 2023.

Trump, 27, (March 28) is the only other catcher on Atlanta’s now 40-man roster Manny Pina And the William Contreras She was traded (in Murphy’s deal), though with a couple of minor league options remaining. Alternatively, the Braves could bring in a more experienced backup or simply carry just Murphy and d’Arnaud and run the risk of losing DH on days when they’re both in the lineup.

Looking beyond the 2023 season, the Braves have d’Arnaud under club control, albeit with an $8 million no-buy team option. That’s the same salary d’Arnaud will earn in 2023, and while the Braves were comfortable getting Murphy and his projected $3.5 million salary at a time when d’Arnaud was already guaranteed $8 million, it would be a different story to pick up that option, knowing Murphy He will be in line for a raise and it is likely that Darno will be ticketed to a lower role than he was at the time he signed his current contract.

However, even if the Braves would prefer to try to set a lower price for the 2024 season (and possibly beyond), O’Brien Tweets The brave would want to have Arnaud’s house around him [the] team for the long haul. ” Is also Add so on the heels Freddie FreemanThe departure of Dar Arnaud W Dansby Swanson (who is, of course, a free agent at the moment) has stepped into a major leadership role. While dealing with d’Arnaud would give the Braves some valuable breathing space between their currently projected $229.3 million luxury tax ledger and the $233 million threshold for luxury penalties, that doesn’t appear to be the approach they’re considering.