Braves' ‘Long Time' Backstop Cuts Ties With Team After Being Replaced By Newcomer
Harianesia – 09 Juni 2026 | ATLANTA, GA – APRIL 23: Chadwick Tromp #48 of the Atlanta Braves takes the field before the game against the Houston Astros at Truist Park on April 23, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Matthew Grimes Jr./Atlanta Braves/Getty Images)
The Atlanta Braves have spent much of the 2026 season scrambling to patch together their catching situation as they hold onto a leading position in the National League pennant race. Injuries and roster turnover have forced the club to rely on several veteran options while waiting for key contributors like Drake Baldwin to return. And that drove another notable change behind the plate last week.
The Braves recently designated Chadwick Tromp for assignment as the organization reshaped its catching depth chart. The decision came shortly after Atlanta added veteran catcher Austin Wynns in a transaction with the Athletics, while continuing to wait for Baldwin to recover from an oblique injury.
Tromp has gone 5-for-25 with a 0:7 BB in 12 games since being added to the roster last month,” CBS Sports noted after the DFA . “Atlanta is adding Austin Wynns to the roster to pair with Sandy Leon as the club patches its catching corps together until Drake Baldwin (oblique) is ready to return from the injured list.”
The roster move was particularly notable because Tromp had become one of the longest-tenured depth pieces in the organization. While he never established himself as an everyday major-league catcher, he spent parts of five seasons moving between the Braves' major-league and minor-league rosters.
And Braves manager Walt Weiss made it clear that the decision was not easy. “Trompy did a good job for us and he’s part of this family, he’s been here for a long time,” Weiss said following the replacement, per Gabriel Burns of the Atlanta Journal Constitution . “It’s a tough one. I think with Wynns, the track record was intriguing enough, the experience, to bring him in here when he became available. He’s had some moments offensively in the past.”
Now, Tromp's tenure with the Braves has evidently come to an end as he rejected the outright assignment and has chosen free agency instead, according to the official transaction tracker . The decision might close the book on a lengthy run with Atlanta that saw Tromp serve as a valuable depth option through multiple seasons, coaching staffs and roster transitions, though the veteran could return to the Braves on a new contract if he doesn’t draw interest from a competitor.
