Atlanta Braves to sign Jonah Heim to one-year deal; veteran catcher to bolster depth behind Drake Baldwin - Report

The Atlanta Braves are set to add experienced depth to their catching corps, agreeing to terms with Jonah Heim on a one-year major league contract. The move gives the club a proven big-league option as they navigate uncertainty at the position.

Heim will arrive after the Texas Rangers non-tendered him in November. Once a cornerstone of their 2023 World Series championship roster, he struggled to maintain that level of production in the following two seasons, leading to his availability on the open market.

That combination made him one of baseball’s most complete catchers. However, both his bat and glove regressed noticeably in 2024 and 2025. Over nearly 1,000 plate appearances since that peak year, he batted just .217/.269/.334 (71 wRC+), with meaningful drops in walk rate, hard contact, barrel percentage, and line-drive rate.

Pop times stretched beyond two seconds, and average throw velocity to second base fell from 81.1 mph to 79.5 mph. The Rangers, facing payroll pressure, opted against arbitration and released him.

Murphy is targeting a May return, though the exact date remains unclear, potentially early in the month or closer to Memorial Day. Until then, Baldwin will shoulder most of the workload. With only Baldwin and Murphy currently on the 40-man roster, previous backup candidates included non-roster invitees Chadwick Tromp, Sandy Leon, and Jair Camargo.

Heim’s major league deal immediately positions him as the primary backup. His experience and past success provide a higher ceiling than the other options, offering Atlanta valuable flexibility during Murphy’s absence.

Because Heim has more than five years of service time, he cannot be optioned without his permission once Murphy is activated. He can also refuse an outright assignment to Triple-A and retain his guaranteed salary.