The Atlanta Braves’ season has not met expectations this year. The team was 10 games under .500 entering play on Sunday, and they have a few players who could be valuable to contenders at the trade deadline.
Marcell Ozuna signed a four-year, $65 million deal with the Braves in 2021. He is playing on a $16 million club option this season and will be a free agent after the season.
According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the Braves are making him “available at the deadline.” Ozuna started the year hot, but has recently seen his numbers decline.
Alex Anthopoulos was originally adamant that his team wouldn’t sell at the deadline, instead hoping to be buyers. However, recent struggles have made making the postseason next to impossible. They entered Sunday 9 1/2 games out of a wild card spot.
“I expect us to be better. … We are not selling,” Anthopoulos said on “Cellini and Dimino” in June. “(We) want to be in a position to add at the trade deadline.”
Ozuna makes plenty of sense as a trade chip. The Braves are unlikely to re-sign him, and he can still bring some power to a needy team. He brings nothing to the table defensively, but he is a three-time All-Star and two-time Silver Slugger.
He has a .761 OPS through 89 games and has 13 home runs on the season. For a contender looking for a steady designated hitter, he could be a great rental.
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