Chadwick Tromp elects free agency after Braves outright to Gwinnett

Chadwick Tromp chose the open market instead of riding back to Triple-A Gwinnett, a move that trimmed another layer from the Braves’ catching depth and showed how tightly Atlanta is managing its 40-man roster. After clearing waivers, Tromp had the right to reject the outright assignment because he had been outrighted before, and he used it.

The Braves had designated Tromp for assignment on June 4, the same day they acquired veteran catcher Austin Wynns from the Los Angeles Angels for cash and moved Sean Murphy to the 60-day injured list to open a 40-man spot. Tromp, a 31-year-old right-handed catcher from Oranjestad, Aruba, had already spent most of the previous five seasons in the organization, but Atlanta’s catching picture kept changing around him.

In 12 games for Atlanta in 2026, Tromp went 5-for-25 and hit .200/.192/.240, with one double, one sacrifice fly and one sacrifice bunt. Those numbers did not force the issue by themselves, but they landed in a crowded room. Wynns was added for immediate big-league depth, Drake Baldwin was activated June 15, Sandy León was designated for assignment June 18, and the Braves traded for Joey Bart later that day, all while Murphy remained sidelined. That sequence left Atlanta repeatedly reshuffling its catching hierarchy rather than settling on a single backup plan.

For Gwinnett, Tromp’s exit means the Stripers lose an experienced insurance piece who understood the Braves’ pitching staff and the daily demands of the top of the system. That matters in a Triple-A environment where catching depth is often the first line of protection against injuries in Atlanta, and where a player with Tromp’s major league mileage can stabilize a staff while waiting for the next call. With Tromp gone, the Braves’ upper-minors options narrow, and Jair Camargo becomes part of a thinner pool of reinforcements behind the big-league tandem.

Tromp’s decision also suggests he saw more value in testing free agency than in settling for another organizational stop. It was not a surprise move for a player who had already once elected free agency after being outrighted in 2024 before returning on a minor league deal. A reunion with Atlanta is still possible, but for now the Braves’ catching depth has taken another hit, and Gwinnett has lost a familiar veteran in the middle of the summer shuffle.