After contending for the playoffs multiple times over the past few seasons, 2025 doesn’t seem to be the Atlanta Braves’ year. They are currently 13 games behind the New York Mets in the NL East, good enough for fourth place. They are nine games out of the last NL Wild Card spot. Injuries, inconsistency and other factors have caused the Braves’ slide this season, yet it doesn’t look like the team will be selling at the upcoming MLB trade deadline. In fact, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale on Sunday, the team might only trade one player: veteran designated hitter Marcell Ozuna.
“No matter where Atlanta is are at the trade deadline, the team isn’t expected to be a seller at the deadline – with the possible exception of DH Marcell Ozuna, who’s a free agent after the season,” reported Nightengale during in Sunday column.
Moving Ozuna would make sense, especially if president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos and manager Brian Snitker believe it can improve the team both now and in the future. Despite their performance this season, Nightengale has also reported that Snitker is expected to keep his job for the remainder of the season. If Anthopoulos and the Braves’ brass decide to move Ozuna, would it also behoove them to start building towards 2026 and beyond?
Can Braves right the ship and return to postseason once again?
It certainly looks as if the Mets have a strong grip on the NL East. Right behind them are the Philadelphia Phillies at three and a half game back. More surprisingly than the Braves’ performance is the rise of the Washington Nationals, who currently occupy third in the division. Despite how this season has gone so far, there is a chance that the Braves right the ship and return to October.
They’ve been to the postseason in each of the last seven seasons under Snitker and Anthopoulos, including a World Series win in 2021. Ozuna has been a key part of the team since joining before the 2020 campaign, and his absence would be felt. However, he’d likely net a fair return, even on an expiring deal. Will an Atlanta retool begin with trading him away? Only Anthopoulos, Snitker and the rest of the team’s leadership know how that could pan out moving forward.
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