Drake Baldwin's emergence may make the Braves' trade deadline plans crystal clear

The Atlanta Braves don’t want to be in the business of trading good catchers. Contenders should want to hoard catching depth. But Drake Baldwin’s 2025 breakout has created the kind of “problem” Atlanta actually loves: a young, cost-controlled starter forcing the front office to make a clean, ruthless decision.

If Baldwin is real — and the early evidence says he is — the Braves’ 2026 trade deadline blueprint starts writing itself. Baldwin hit with authority in 2025. Putting up a .274 average with 19 homers, 80 RBI, and an .810 OPS over 124 games, and the quality of contact backed it up (91.7 mph average exit velocity, 49.6 percent hard-hit rate). If you’re Atlanta, that matters because of what’s happening behind him.

Braves’ sudden catcher clarity exposes the uneasy Sean Murphy trade path

Sean Murphy is still a very good catcher when he’s right — and he’s still paid like one. The Braves gave him a six-year, $73 million extension that pays him $15 million annually from 2025 through 2028, with a club option for 2029. The issue is Murphy hasn’t been “right” consistently. He missed time in 2024, suffered a cracked left rib in early 2025, then in 2025 a right hip labral tear ended his season and required surgery. Even with an optimistic recovery timeline, it’s fair to wonder how quickly he’ll look like the All-Star version again.

That’s where Baldwin changes everything. If Murphy is out (or limited) early, Baldwin gets the runway. If Baldwin plays like he did in 2025, the Braves will suddenly have proof that they can run a contender’s offense without tying up $15 million a year at catcher. And once that’s established, the “time-share” idea starts to feel like a luxury Atlanta doesn’t really need, especially because the Braves would rather use DH on a true thumper than rotate catchers there. 

So the deadline logic becomes simple: let Baldwin cement himself as the everyday guy, get Murphy healthy enough to re-establish value, then flip Murphy to a catcher-needy team for the kind of return that actually helps you win in October — ideally starting pitching help, or multiple arms, or a controllable piece that frees up other moves.

It’s nothing personal. But, Baldwin’s emergence doesn’t just give the Braves a fun rookie story. It hands Alex Anthopoulos payroll flexibility, lineup clarity, and a path to trade from strength at a position where other teams get desperate in July. If Baldwin comes out of the gate steady again, don’t be surprised if the Braves’ deadline “big move” is the one hiding in plain sight.