What should the Atlanta Braves do at the upcoming trade deadline?
Things have gone from bad to worse to catastrophic for the Atlanta Braves.
After yet another loss on Tuesday night, the Braves have fallen to 38-46, which means they now trail the Miami Marlins for third place in the National League East. It's becoming a disastrous season, and they may have no choice but to soft sell at the trade deadline.
No, that doesn't mean the Braves should trade ace Chris Sale, who is under contract for 2026, when Atlanta could easily rebound. But any impending free agents should be sold for prospects, and there's really only one big name that jumps off the page.
Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna is coming to the end of a five-year, $81 million contract. He's been dominant at the plate for much of that deal, though he's dropped off a bit this year, and the Braves would undoubtedly have suitors if they chose to send him away.
On Wednesday, ESPN's David Schoenfield urged the Braves to cut bait with Ozuna ahead of the Jul. 31 trade deadline.
"It's hard to wave the white flag with Chris Sale, Spencer Schwellenbach and Spencer Strider leading the rotation and Ronald Acuna Jr. red-hot since his return, but the Braves will need a huge July in order to be contenders," Schoenfield wrote.
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"If they don't get that, Ozuna is the logical trade candidate, as he heads into free agency and has a .369 OBP (although he had a miserable June with a .550 OPS and just two home runs)."
Ozuna has been playing through a hip injury for two months, and it seemed to get the best of him in June. That could scare some contenders off, as might the fact that he's a DH-only.
Still, we're talking about a player who hit 79 home runs from 2023 to 2024. There aren't many impact bats available, and Ozuna would be one of them if the Braves took Schoenfield's advice.
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Category: Baseball
