The Atlanta Braves lost seven straight games to begin the season. It did not take long for panic to set in.

The 2024 campaign was a nightmare for Braves fans. All their visions of grandeur, all their World Series hopes, were undermined by a relentless stream of injuries. Chris Sale won the Cy Young award, but the positives were otherwise few and far between.

One could only hope that injury luck would better favor the Braves in 2025. It’s virtually impossible to get that unlucky twice in a row. So, when the season started with seven straight losses and several key pieces on the IL, the vibes weren’t great.

Atlanta still has holes to plug — primarily on the mound with Reynaldo López and Spencer Strider hurt — but the ship is gradually turning around. The Braves are winners of six of their last seven, including a series sweep of the Minnesota Twins.

Among their best performers so far has been Marcell Ozuna, who is building on a productive 2024 campaign in a much better offensive context. Ozuna was really the only Braves bat to outperform expectations last season. Now, he’s doing it again, but with a little more help this time around.

The Braves DH is slashing .300/.484/.500 with four home runs and 1.0 fWAR through 22 games.

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Early-season Marcell Ozuna trade suggestion looks silly for Braves in hindsight

Just four days ago, ESPN’s David Schoenfield pitched the concept of Atlanta trading Ozuna if their record does not improve. The NL East is a bloodbath and the Braves’ cap sheet is chock full of long-term commitments, especially on the positional front. Ozuna, 34, is a free agent at season’s end.

“It would be shocking not to see the Braves recover from this slow start, but if they don’t, Ozuna would be a fascinating player to consider,” Schoenfield writes. “He’s in the final year of a five-year deal and the Braves already have a lot of future commitments on the books, so there’s no guarantee he’ll re-sign with Atlanta, especially since his production warrants a bigger salary than the $16 million he’s making this year.”

While there’s logic here, it does not align with how the Braves tend to operate under GM Alex Anthopoulos. Say what you will about Anthopoulos’ aggression (or lack thereof) in the free agent market, but the Braves are in it to win it each and every season. This roster is built to contend and Atlanta will behave accordingly.

Even last season, as the injuries piled up and the Braves’ World Series odds dwindled, there was never a point when Max Fried was realistically available to potential trade suitors. The Braves finished out the season with Fried, then let him leave for the New York Yankees on a historic $218 million contract. He was never, ever getting that money from Atlanta.

Ozuna will not receive the same payday this offseason, but he should get a healthy multi-year contract from a team looking for right-handed pop. There is only so much value in a mid-30s DH, but Ozuna has been one of the absolute best hitters in the National League for going on two years now. He has his share of off-field issues and he provides zero defensive value, but he will get paid on the strength of his bat alone.

Even so, the Braves will take the risk and go the distance with Ozuna. If Atlanta can get healthy, this roster still stacks up with anyone. The Padres, Dodgers and Mets all look the part of bonafide contenders, but even in their current 11-14 state, the Braves feel like a sleeper. And, so long as the Braves can realistically proclaim a path to the World Series, Ozuna is secure in the ATL.