The time is now. An easy argument could be made that time should have been when the Atlanta Braves added Eddie Rosario to the active roster two weeks ago.

It is time for the Braves to add a third catcher to their active roster.

Last night, starting catcher Sean Murphy played a key role in the team’s ninth inning rally to send the game to extra innings. The game winning hit in the 11th was courtesy of rookie catcher Drake Baldwin.

When Murphy was hit by a pitch in Spring Training and broke a rib, Baldwin was the beneficiary, working as the primary starting catcher until Murphy returned in early April. Despite bad luck, Baldwin’s approach at the plate drew raves and his defense was solid. So when Murphy returned to the active roster, the Braves elected to keep their top prospect around as the back-up catcher and designated reserve backstop Chadwick Tromp for assignment.

When Murphy returned to the line-up, he injected power to a struggling Braves line-up. Although come back to earth after a hot start, Murphy has still produced a 130 wRC+ with 0.9 fWAR in 22 games and 91 plate appearances on the season – including seven home runs.

Meanwhile, Baldwin, who is on the short-side of the Braves catching platoon, has a 124 wRC+ good for 0.5 fWAR in 21 games and 67 plate appearances. Although his defensive metrics aren’t as stout as Murphy’s are, he is still a positive defensive player.

Baldwin’s strikeout rate of 17.9-percent is better than Murphy’s comparable rate. Murphy has struck out in exactly one-third of his plate appearances but is walking at almost the same rate as Baldwin (9-percent walk rate). Murphy’s slugging .513 and Baldwin is at .459; thus, a slight edge to Murphy, there.

They have both been fantastic. And that’s the point …

The Braves need to add a third catcher to the roster immediately.

Tromp was lost to a minor league deal with the Baltimore Orioles, but the Braves added long-time big league catcher James McCann late in Spring Training where they also have fellow veteran Sandy Leon. Atlanta also made a move to bring in catcher Jason Delay, who was designated for assignment by the Pittsburgh Pirates, at the start of the season and he and his limited big-league experience are on the 40-man roster whereas McCann and Leon are not.

McCann and Leon have seen much of the playing time at Gwinnet with Delay added to the Stripers’ roster a couple of weeks ago. McCann’s offensive performance has been the best of the group, but regardless, it doesn’t really matter because having one of them on the Braves active roster would not be about their production. It would be about insurance.

Murphy and Baldwin are two of the six best offensive player the Braves have on their roster. Depending on how you view the analytics, saying there are two of the five best offensive players would be valid. Given that both are limited to playing catcher or designated hitter – and Marcell Ozuna is limited to DH and must stay in the line-up as maybe the team’s best hitter – the best chance for Murphy or Baldwin to be utilized in games they don’t start is as a pinch hitter or as a replacement at DH, if needed.

With Ronald Acuna, Jr. hopefully returning to Atlanta’s line-up by the end of this month, the next three or four weeks could be critical for the Braves to take full advantage of Murphy and Baldwin as offensive performers because the rest of the bench offers nothing offensively.

Stuart Fairchild has value as a pinch runner and emergency defensive replacement in the outfield but has a -61 wRC+ this season. Atlanta’s other reserve outfielder, Eddie Rosario, has a -100 wRC+ and has been one of worst players in the league for several seasons. Rosario will always be an Atlanta legend, but he doesn’t offer the speed of Fairchild as a pinch-runner.

Orlando Arcia has been relegated to a seldom-used bench piece with Nick Allen in place as the team’s starting shortstop. Arcia and Matt Olson are the two slowest players on the team and Arcia doesn’t offer much offensively with a career 77 wRC+.

That leaves Murphy or Baldwin as the only viable bench bats until Acuna pushes either Alex Verdugo or Eli White to the bench. Braves manager Brian Snitker has used his reserve catcher more in the last week as a pinch-hit option, but with none of the bench pieces a viable emergency catcher – maybe it is Arcia since he never plays – Atlanta should make the move to replace Rosario with one of their depth catching options so that Snitker doesn’t have to worry about the “what if?” by playing without a viable catcher on his bench.

When Acuna returns, then the organization can determine how best to approach the third catcher option.

But until then, it is time to upgrade the bench with a third catcher.