Atlanta Braves predicted to cut ties with 37 y/o catcher as Drake Balwin's return looms

Atlanta Braves predicted to cut ties with 37 y/o catcher as Drake Balwin’s return looms originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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The Atlanta Braves are a test case this season of how a wealth of catching depth can be stripped away in just a pair of injuries. 

Catcher Drake Baldwin has missed the past few weeks with an oblique injury, but Walt Weiss has suggested that his return could be as early as the end of this week. Backup Sean Murphy broke his finger a week before Baldwin was sidelined with the oblique, and Murphy is still expected to be out for a few more weeks until he’s fully healed. 

Because of the injuries, Atlanta has resorted to go with a catching cast of Sandy Leon and Austin Wynns. Wynns was recently acquired via trade with the Angels, and before that, Chadwick Tromp received some innings behind the plate. 

However, with the return of Drake Baldwin soon, the outlook for Sandy Leon and Austin Wynns looks bleak. 

Braves predicted to ‘cut’ Sandy Leon 

Sandy Leon is a 37-year-old catcher, and he’s been a good placeholder option for the Braves, but his long-term future with Atlanta is anything but certain.  

Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller recently named one player for every 30 MLB teams that is on the verge of being cut, and for the Braves, it’s Sandy Leon:

“If we had to pick 25 of these 30 players for a depressing DFA bingo card, León would be the free space in the middle. It won’t happen today or tomorrow, as Drake Baldwin (oblique strain) isn’t expected back for another week while Sean Murphy (broken finger) is likely to be out until early July. But since singling in two of his first three plate appearances of the season, León has not reached base.”

The Braves signed Sandy Leon as a depth option in the offseason, and again, he’s been a good placeholder catcher, but his time on the roster will be over once Murphy and Baldwin return. 

Leon is hitting .083 this season with zero XBH, 0 RBI, and an OPS below .200 in 30+ at-bats. This DFA designation will be a pretty easy decision for the Braves front office.