Braves might cut ties with $73 million two-time All-Star, says Forbes MLB writer

The Atlanta Braves have been much better since the first week of April passed, but they haven't fully escaped trade speculation purgatory just yet.

It comes with the territory in Major League Baseball. Fans and analysts are starving for a downfall, and after the Braves started 0-7, they were a very easy target. "What's wrong with the Braves?" was closely followed by "who could the Braves sell off?"

Now that they've won 14 of their last 23 games, the Braves have quieted the concerns of those who watch the team day in and day out. But there are still some who believe the trade deadline firesale could happen if things take another downturn.

In fact, one writer believes Atlanta could trade its All-Star catcher with three-and-a-half years remaining on his current contract.

On Thursday, Forbes' Tyler Small named Braves catcher Sean Murphy as a "trade deadline candidate" who could be moved this summer if Atlanta's struggles pick back up.

"With the Braves still under .500 entering May, the next month will go a long way in determining the direction of the organization," Small wrote. "If Atlanta continues to struggle, Sean Murphy could be one of the most talented catchers available at the deadline in recent history.

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"Trading away Murphy would signal that the Braves think their issues in 2025 correlates with their early exits in the previous three postseasons, which may require a greater change to the organization."

Murphy, 30, has hit seven home runs already and racked up 1.1 bWAR in just 17 games. His Braves career so far has been a series of hot and cold stretches, and right now, he's on fire.

The only reason the Braves would even begin to entertain the notion of trading Murphy is the presence of Drake Baldwin, their top catching prospect who made the Opening Day roster while Murphy was injured.

But this entire concept feels a bit far-fetched. Murphy's $73 million deal was done with the intent of keeping him around for his entire prime, and this early season has shown he still has some prime left.

More MLB: Blue Jays could cut ties with $63 million All-Star in favor of two Cubs prospects