The Atlanta Braves are off to a slow start, but that does not mean they will be punting on the season. However, it also does not mean they won’t trade away an expensive slugger at the trade deadline.
When Ronald Acuña Jr. returns, the Braves will likely try and make a push for the postseason and turn their season around. Even if they are not sellers at the deadline, they could part ways with Marcell Ozuna, who is in the final year of his contract. FanSided’s Ken King proposed this trade to send Ozuna to the Toronto Blue Jays:
- Braves receive: right-handed pitcher Chad Green and outfielder Alan Roden
- Blue Jays receive: outfielder/designated hitter Marcell Ozuna
If the Braves are making a push for the postseason and are in the middle of the pack near the deadline, they may not make any blockbuster additions. However, moving Ozuna is a move that they may simply have to make. If there’s a chance they miss the postseason at all, the Braves would be wise to get something out of Ozuna before he hits the open market.
“Toronto’s DH slot has been a rotating door of missed opportunity,” wrote King. “If Ozuna walked into the Rogers Centre, he’d instantly become the cleanup hitter. He would protect Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and would give some more breathing room for Anthony Santander. And for Atlanta? Ozuna’s big contract becomes an easy offload. They shed salary, get a reliable bullpen arm in Green, and a sweet-swinging prospect in Roden who fits the Braves’ model of contact-oriented bats with on-base skills.”
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Ozuna is playing well for the Braves, and their season is by no means a lost cause. However, the Braves will have to be cautious around the trade deadline. They don’t want to become sellers and lose any hope of a late-season push, and they also don’t want to go all-in and then come up short. Trading Ozuna is a move that falls in the sweet spot. The Braves would be getting a player they can use right away while also benefiting their future.
Ozuna is a three-time All-Star and will be a name to watch this summer. He can bring some real power to any team looking for a rental for the rest of the season.
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