ATLANTA, GA - JUNE 04: Braves catcher Austin Wynns (16) in the dugout before the Thursday evening MLB game between the Atlanta Braves and the Toronto Blue Jays on June 4, 2026 at Truist Park in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Atlanta Braves are enjoying a healthy lead at the top of the National League East division, but it hasn’t come without some injury management and roster shuffling.
One of the toughest positions for the team to fill has been catcher, with budding superstar Drake Baldwin and veteran Sean Murphy both going down with prolonged injuries this season.
Though Baldwin has now returned, at least to a designated hitter role, the team did feel the need to bolster the backstop role with an emergency trade recently. And now that Baldwin is back, that trade acquisition has cut ties with the team after a very short stint.
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The Atlanta Braves acquired eight-year MLB veteran backstop Austin Wynns from the Los Angeles Angels earlier this month as they attempted to navigate their injuries behind the plate. At the time, the addition looked like a practical move for a club trying to stay afloat while waiting for healthier options to return.
“The Braves added the 35-year-old Wynns to the major league roster … a day after acquiring him from the Angels for cash,” the Associated Press reported at the time. “In a related move, catcher Chadwick Tromp was designated for assignment. Wynns joins Sandy Leon as the Braves' catchers as the team continues to adjust to injuries to 2025 National League Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy.”
Ultimately, though, Wynns appeared in just six games for the Braves before returning to free agency.
“Catcher Austin Wynns has elected free agency,” Darragh McDonald reported for MLB Trade Rumors. “He was outrighted by Atlanta earlier this week. Since he has at least five years of big league service, he has the right to reject outright assignments in favor of free agency without forfeiting any salary.”
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“He spent a little over a week on the roster with Atlanta until Drake Baldwin came off the injured list, which squeezed Wynns onto the waiver wire,” McDonald added. “Now that he’s a free agent again, Wynns will look for his next opportunity. Catching depth is always in demand, so he should get calls, though he may have to settle for a minor league deal.”
For a player with eight years of major league experience and a reputation as a dependable depth option, another opportunity could arrive quickly. Catching remains one of the thinnest positions across baseball, and organizations are constantly looking for experienced veterans capable of stepping into a roster spot on short notice.
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