The Atlanta Braves are officially starting to roll.
It was a truly dismal start to the season for the Braves on the field, and there has been a surprising amount of controversy off it so far this week. But this is such a talented team, and now that they’re on a four-game winning streak, it could be only a matter of time before they get to .500.
For the sake of argument, though, say the Braves don’t wind up getting back in the hunt in an extremely competitive National League. Is there any scenario in which they would consider selling at the trade deadline?
Perhaps not, because this is a team built for the playoffs. But if that scenario does occur, one baseball writer has a trade candidate to discuss that would be truly fascinating.
On Tuesday, ESPN’s David Schoenfield suggested that designated hitter Marcell Ozuna could be a trade candidate if the Braves fall out of the race, thanks to his excellent production and cheap expiring contract.
“Ozuna would be a fascinating player to consider. He’s in the final year of a five-year deal and the Braves already have a lot of future commitments on the books, so there’s no guarantee he’ll re-sign with Atlanta, especially since his production warrants a bigger salary than the $16 million he’s making this year,” Schoenfield wrote.
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“Ozuna was one of the best hitters in baseball last year and is off to an even better start in 2025, so while he’s limited to DH, he would fill a middle-of-the-order need for a DH-starved club (and given the lack of offense across the majors, this is a long list).”
Ozuna, 34, is just getting better with age. Last season, he finished fourth in NL Most Valuable Player voting, and this year, he’s got a 1.010 OPS through his first 18 games, putting him on pace for a seven-WAR season.
Ozuna’s $16 million club option was exercised this year, extending the total value of his deal to five years, $81 million. His salary is assured to be much higher next year, so if the Braves don’t want to give it to him, a trade is certainly possible–but only if Atlanta isn’t still in the hunt.
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