The Lake Merced Goutfish brought a vaunted starting rotation into the off-season, but knew the offense needed more depth while having to address a void at catcher. GM Ryan Atkinson did just that on Wednesday, announcing the acquisition of catcher Sean Murphy (3R/$5) along with 2nd and 4th Round Picks (#22/56 Overall) from the San Mateo Oppo Tacos in exchange for infielder Ryan McMahon (2/$17) and a 2024 1st Round Pick and pair of 3rd Round Picks (#14/41/44 Overall).
Atlanta Braves catcher Sean Murphy posted a productive, yet frustrating season in 2023 and fantasy managers should expect more of the same in 2024. On a per-plate-appearance basis, one can argue Murphy was the best catcher in fantasy. However, the Braves split catching duties between Murphy and Travis d'Arnaud, leading to only 438 PA for Murphy, who was on the bench more than most starting catchers. When he was in the lineup, Murphy mashed. His 21 HR ranked fifth-best among catchers, despite having over 100 fewer PA than other top-catching options. Murphy's .251/.365/.478 triple-slash line represented career-bests for the first-year Brave. Best of all, Murphy's pristine Statcast numbers fully supported his breakout campaign. He set career highs in xBA (.270), xSLG (.525), and xwOBA (.390) while smoking the ball to the tune of a 91.4 MPH average exit velocity and a whopping 15% barrel-rate. Entering his age-29 season, Murphy should continue his steady production moving forward. D'Arnaud remains an issue, however, as he will play more than virtually every other backup catcher in baseball though a higher usage is likely in 2024 for Murphy.
McMahon has been a model of consistency in recent years. While he isn't as eye-catching as other infielders, he can certainly provide fantasy value at multiple positions. Over the last three seasons, McMahon has averaged 152 games, 22 homers, 74 RBI, 76 runs and six stolen bases. McMahon also has a .246/.326/.431 slash line since 2021 which is similar to last year's (.240/.322/.431). McMahon's expected numbers have been very similar to his actual numbers over the last three seasons. He strikeouts a lot (31.6% K% in 2023), but offsets it by walking a good amount (10.8% BB% in 2023). Since a two-week stint on the IL in 2019, McMahon has also avoided injuries.
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