Getty
Sean Murphy of the Atlanta Braves
The Pittsburgh Pirates‘ offseason has actually been relatively productive, and there’s no reason to think they could be done making moves. The Pirates still need more right-handed hitting and an upgrade at the catcher position. The signing of Marcell Ozuna will help the offense, but Pittsburgh still isn’t really considered a contender in the NL Central.
Could the Buccos consider trading away starter Mitch Keller to acquire another bat for the lineup? There’s an NL contender in the Atlanta Braves that would benefit from trading for a starter like Keller. A recent trade idea by SportsIllustrated.com’s Ryan Shea floats the idea of a player-swap trade that would send Mitch Keller to the Braves in exchange for Sean Murphy.
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Is This is a Good Player-Swap Deal?
This trade idea pretty much checks out in terms on financial value. Mitch Keller signed a five-year, $77 million deal a few seasons agom and Sean Murphy did the same with the Braves (six-years, $73 million).
Ryan Shea gives reasoning as to why the Braves would be willing to make this trade:
“The Braves would make this trade because they already have Drake Baldwin, who had a breakout 2025 season with a .274 AVG, 19 HR, 80 RBI, .341 OBP, and .810 OPS, signaling that he can take over the starting catcher role from Sean Murphy. With Baldwin poised to be the everyday catcher, Murphy becomes somewhat redundant. Atlanta also signed Jonah Heim as a backup, further reducing the need for Murphy.”
The Braves need another starter to help give some assurance to the rotation with the injuries of Hurston Waldrep and Spencer Schwellenbach.
“By trading Murphy for Mitch Keller, the Braves can address a rotation need, adding a durable mid-rotation starter who can eat innings and stabilize the pitching staff.”
GettySean Murphy of the Atlanta Braves
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Why the Pirates Should Make This Trade.
Sean Murphy, if on the field, can help a young Pirates pitching staff, aside from Paul Skenes, with finding their footing in MLB.
As currently constructed, the Pirates have Henry Davis and Joey Bart as catcher options. Both don’t have much power upside, which Murphy can provide.
Although he hasn’t played in 100+ games in each of the past two seasons, Murphy has 10+ home runs in both campaigns.
Mitch Keller has been a middle-of-the-rotation arm for a few years now, but has become expendable, like Sean Murphy, with the influx of young starters on this Pittsburgh roster.
Will the Pirates actually trade Mitch Keller? He has been the subject of trade rumors for pretty much the entire offseason, but there’s been no traction or recent developments that indicate he will be moved.
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