The Oakland Athletics have made a savvy roster move, acquiring switch-hitting catcher Jonah Heim from the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations in a Monday night trade between two first-place clubs. This deal adds depth behind the plate for the A's, who are surging in the AL West.

Heim had been designated for assignment by Atlanta after a productive day at the plate on Sunday. The move was necessary to clear roster space for catcher Sean Murphy, who made his season debut Monday night against the Seattle Mariners, starting behind the dish and batting seventh. Murphy, an All-Star in 2023 and a Gold Glove winner with the A's in 2021, had been recovering from right hip surgery and rehabbing in the minors.

The Braves boast a deep catching corps, including 2025 NL Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin, who entered Monday hitting .315 with eight homers, 29 RBIs, and a .909 OPS. Atlanta leads the NL East with the best record in baseball at 25-10.

Heim, 30, signed with the Braves in February to provide coverage while Murphy recovered. In 12 games, he hit .231 with one home run, eight RBIs, and a .721 OPS. Prior to Atlanta, Heim spent five seasons with the Texas Rangers from 2021 to 2025, earning All-Star and Gold Glove honors on the 2023 World Series championship team. Over his career, Heim is a .225 hitter with 69 home runs and a .655 OPS, and he originally broke into the majors with the A's in 2020 when the team was still based in Oakland.

For the A's, Heim will back up primary catcher Shea Langeliers, who is off to a blistering start this season. Langeliers is batting .336 with 10 homers, 18 RBIs, and a 1.017 OPS, a key reason Oakland leads the AL West with an 18-16 record. This trade bolsters the A's catching depth as they look to maintain their division lead.