The Braves, Brewers and Athletics shook up the catcher market Monday with a three-team exchange that left each team with a new No. 1 behind the plate.
The most notable names on the move are Sean Murphy, from Oakland to Atlanta, and William Contreras, from Atlanta to Milwaukee. Career backup Manny Pina, 35, goes from Atlanta to Oakland, but obviously not to take over as the No. 1 there. That role will go to 25-year-old Shea Langeliers, who coincidentally the Athletics acquired from the Braves in the Matt Olson deal last year.
It's the kind of trade Fantasy Baseballers love to see because basically everyone's opportunity (and, therefore, value) improves, with one notable exception.
Let's break it down right quick.
Stock up for Sean Murphy
Oakland has always been a difficult place to hit. In fact, it rated as the single worst venue for home runs -- in particular by right-handed hitters -- last year. Murphy hit .226 with a .702 OPS there compared to .272 with an .812 OPS on the road. Interestingly, Statcast suggests he would have just as many home runs if he had played every game in Atlanta last year as if he had played every game in Oakland. (in both cases, the 18 he actually hit). Still, it's a better hitting environment and certainly a better supporting cast for a player whose stock already appeared to be on the rise. From July 1, Murphy hit .278 with an .828 OPS, reaching base at a .366 clip and striking out just 17.4 percent of the time.
Stock up for William Contreras
By most statistical measures, the younger brother of the Cardinals' Willson Contreras was even better than Murphy last year, but he nonetheless got only 334 at-bats, fewer than teammate Travis d'Arnaud, because the Braves weren't sold on his defense. They in fact showed just how unsold they were by trading for Murphy. The Brewers, though, wouldn't seem to have much choice but to make Contreras their No. 1 option behind the plate, and of course, you won't find too many venues more hitter-friendly than American Family Field. So the younger Contreras gets the benefit of more playing time, a better park and most likely the natural growth that comes with his level of experience. Already, his percentile rankings on Statcast are almost identical to his older brother, and it wouldn't surprise me if he's the better of the two in 2023.
Stock up for Shea Langeliers
The 25-year-old is clearly the guy in Oakland now and could quickly emerge as a Fantasy asset. He'll be DH-only to begin the year (that's where he spent most of his time late last season because, well, the Athletics had Murphy), but he has a strong defensive reputation in his own right. He has good power for the position but will need to make regular contact to get the most out of it -- something that wasn't a huge issue in the minors. He hit .283 with 19 homers and an .876 OPS in 353 at-bats at Triple-A Las Vegas last year, striking out at a 21.9 percent clip.
Acquired from the Padres in the Josh Hader trade last July, Ruiz made only a brief cameo for a Brewers team that didn't seem to have much use for him. The Athletics, meanwhile, have holes everywhere, and it seems likely that a guy with both infield and outfield experience would be able to fill one. Ruiz had arguably the best season of any minor-leaguer last year, with the 85 stolen bases in particular standing out, but the reports on him aren't quite as strong as the numbers. He's fast but a work in progress defensively, and the low exit velocity readings may limit his power, particularly in Oakland. Still, his best chance of avoiding a utility role is with a team like this one, and he immediately becomes a prime sleeper for steals.
At 25, Muller is overdue for an extended look after making infrequent ones for a team that always seemed to have someone else ahead in the pecking order. Now, he's genuinely in the mix for a rotation spot this spring. The 6-foot-6 left-hander has a big fastball with a lot of spin and a slider/curveball combo that's geared for whiffs as well. The issue, as you might expect given his profile, has been control, but he improved to 2.7 BB/9 at Triple-A this year in what was his best minor-league season. He'll be someone to monitor this spring.
Stock down for Travis d'Arnaud
The Braves achieved a nice split in playing time for d'Arnaud and Contreras last year, which led to both of them making the All-Star team. But Murphy will require a much bigger share than Contreras got. His defense will demand it, in fact. GM Alex Anthopoulos has already said there will be enough playing time to go around, and no doubt, Murphy will kick over to DH at times to keep his legs fresh. But if d'Arnaud is going to be primarily a DH, his bat will need to play big in order for him to approach 400 at-bats again. Ultimately, I think he'll come closer than not, but the uncertainty is enough for me to drop him to 12th in my catcher rankings, behind Tyler Stephenson and MJ Melendez.
Conclusion
Where am I moving Murphy and Contreras, considering both player's stock has improved? Catcher has so many more big bats right now that there isn't a ton of flexibility. You might see some people move Contreras ahead of Murphy with the expected increase in playing time, but I already ranked them that way, eighth and ninth among catchers overall. That's where I'm keeping them, so I guess the takeaway for me is I'm now less inclined to pay up for the top seven.
