The Atlanta Braves have been surprisingly dormant this offseason. The Braves roster doesn’t need very many upgrades, but they haven’t even found their names among the teams threatening to sign any of the big-name players.

Starting pitcher Max Fried has already left Atlanta in favor of the New York Yankees and veteran Charlie Morton is expected to follow him out of Atlanta. The Braves could still re-sign Morton, but it doesn’t seem likely. The next offseason could be even worse, too.

FanSided’s Zachary Rotman has predicted the Braves to cut ties with star designated hitter Marcell Ozuna before the 2026 season. Ozuna is a free agent at the end of the 2025 season, when Spotrac projects him to sign a four-year, $77 million deal.

“Ozuna is 34 years old and, at this point in his career, is a DH only. If he has a repeat of the year he just had or does anything close to it, the Braves almost certainly won’t pay him what he’s worth on the open market (and it’s tough to blame them.) Remember, this is the same franchise that watched players like Freddie Freeman, Max Fried, and Dansby Swanson walk in free agency,” Rotman wrote. “Alex Anthopoulos will find a cheaper (and perhaps better) alternative like he always seems to, instead of paying Ozuna market value or even close to it, considering his age and his inability to play the field.”

It’s unlikely the Braves will fork up $25 million a year for an aging designated hitter, no matter how good he’s been for them. There are plenty of teams around the league that will pay Ozuna the money he wants, but it won’t be Atlanta.

It’s safe to assume, as Rotman points out, that 2025 will likely be Ozuna’s final year with the Braves.