Rangers schedule ensures they'll likely avoid cruel reminder in Atlanta

As spring training kicks into gear this week, former Rangers Gold Glove catcher Jonah Heim reports to Florida on a minor league deal with the Atlanta Braves.

There's no telling how long the 30-year-old will be a member of the Braves but with the Texas Rangers not playing Atlanta until directly after the All-Star Game, chances are slim for a mini reunion.

Heim with slim chance to last long with Braves

Understandable that this take seems salty but it would have to take a massive turnaround for Atlanta to feel inclined to keep Heim around that long. Matter of a fact, Heim's tenure will likely end after the first month plus of the season when Atlanta gets Sean Murphy back.

Set to be backup to the reigning National League Rookie of the Year Drake Baldwin, Heim will provide new manager Walter Weiss protection to rest Baldwin. Once Atlanta gets Murphy back from his right hip labral tear, the catching tandem will return to Baldwin and Murphy.

After an All-Star and Gold Glove season in 2023, Heim struggled in 2024 and 2025 with the Rangers, hitting .215 over 255 games in that stretch and saw his playtime slightly decline near the final months of the season. Then over the offseason, Texas non-tendered Heim after four seasons.

Not all bad for Heim though. Murphy does have a history of injuries, playing in only 166 games the past two seasons and never appearing in more than 108 games with the Braves after being traded by the A's prior to the 2023 season.

The best Heim can do is impress out of spring and set himself up to get a good job with another major league team if he is eventually released from Atlanta once Murphy returns. If he is in Atlanta by July, expect to see him the lineup at some point during the three-game weekend series.