The Atlanta Braves acquired C Sean Murphy as part of a 3-team trade on Monday. The move brought mixed reaction given Atlanta's prior impressive catching depth. Nevertheless, the deal may have never come to fruition if it wasn't for Willson Contreras.
According to Mark Feinsand, the Oakland Athletics and St. Louis Cardinals had previously discussed a Sean Murphy deal. But Oakland was forced to switch paths once the Cardinals signed Willson Contreras in free agency. In the end, everything worked out for the Athletics who landed a number of intriguing prospects from the Braves. And Atlanta added a catcher who will benefit the ball club from both an offensive and defensive perspective.
However, Sean Murphy very well may have ended up playing in St. Louis if it wasn't for Willson Contreras. Oddly enough, Willson's brother William was traded from Atlanta to the Milwaukee Brewers in the 3-team deal. So the Contreras family played a pivotal role in helping this deal come to fruition.
The Braves are excited to see what the future holds for Sean Murphy in Atlanta. He's fresh off of a strong campaign that saw him slash .250/.332/.426 with a .759 OPS and 18 home runs for the Athletics. The former Gold Glove winner will also impact the Braves' pitching staff. His ability to block pitches in the dirt will allow pitchers to feel more comfortable bouncing breaking balls in 2-strike counts.
Sean Murphy will also get to play alongside former Oakland teammate Matt Olson, who was traded from the Athletics to the Braves last offseason.
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