The Atlanta Braves are a mess. Yes, they finally won a series for the first time in almost a month with a win over the Milwaukee Brewers on Wednesday afternoon, but with a record of 29-38, they’re now 14.0 games back of the NL East-leading New York Mets and 9.5 games back of the third Wild Card spot in the National League.

There’s still time left, but the odds of this team going on a massive run to the postseason are stacked against them. That’s why a Marcell Ozuna trade feels more likely by the day.

Ozuna is one of the best designated hitters in the game and has been able to have a solid season despite playing through an injury, but his lack of positional versatility, his age (34) and his expiring contract make it likely this is his final year in Atlanta.

Given that the odds of Atlanta making the postseason are so slim, a trade of a player who likely won’t be on the team next season anyway makes too much sense. They can sell high in what will likely be a seller’s market, helping them look ahead to 2026. And if they do decide to trade him, any of these four landing spots could make a lot of sense.

4) Marcell Ozuna can add some much-needed balance to the Tigers’ lineup

The Detroit Tigers are one of MLB’s best teams, so they should be going all-in at this year’s trade deadline. An Ozuna trade would be doing just that, and would help their lineup exponentially.

This Tigers lineup, while potent, is incredibly left-handed.

On most nights, three of their first four and four of their first six hitters are left-handed. That makes them awfully easy to match up against late in games, especially with Kerry Carpenter and Riley Greene in particular being so much better against right-handed pitching than left-handed pitching.

The right-handed Ozuna can hit in the middle of this order and break up the lefties, making the Tigers harder to pitch to.

He can also add some more thump to this lineup. Detroit’s offense is good, but has room for improvement. Ozuna can provide that improvement and then some. It feels like a no-brainer for this win-now team to heavily pursue him.

3) Marcell Ozuna can help the Giants stick around in a tight NL West race

The San Francisco Giants have been one of MLB’s most surprising teams thus far, going 39-28 in their first 67 games of the year and sitting just 0.5 games back of the Los Angeles Dodgers for first place in the NL West entering play on Wednesday.

Their record is also good enough to hold the NL’s top Wild Card spot. As impressive as they’ve been, though, their offense needs work. That’s where an Ozuna addition would come in handy.

The Giants rank 20th in the Majors as of this writing in runs scored, 22nd in home runs and 25th in OPS. By virtually any metric, the Giants are a subpar offensive team.

They are where they are largely because of their pitching, which is stellar, but for San Francisco to really stick with star-studded teams like the Padres and Dodgers, they’ll need an offensive upgrade.

Ozuna would instantly become the most feared hitter in this Giants lineup. Sure, it’d be helpful if he could play the outfield still or chip in at first base, especially since Wilmer Flores has done most of the DH’ing this season, but Ozuna’s bat would be an important one to acquire.

Flores can play first base, even if he’s subpar defensively. The hit they’d take on that end would be worth it to add a bat of Ozuna’s caliber.

Remember, this is a guy who finished fourth in the NL MVP balloting last season strictly as a DH. He might be the difference between the Giants maintaining the level they’re playing at now or falling off down the stretch.

2) The Royals need Marcell Ozuna’s bat, even if his fit in Kansas City is wonky

The Kansas City Royals hoped to take another step forward this season after making it to last year’s postseason and even advancing to the ALDS, but as their 34-33 record would indicate, they’ve been mostly average so far in 2025. Their pitching has excelled, but they rank 28th in runs scored, 30th in home runs and 24th in OPS.

Ozuna’s fit in Kansas City would be a bit strange as it’d force Jac Caglianone, a rookie with limited exposure to the outfield, to be a regular in right field. But if sacrificing defense is what will get this lineup another bat that it desperately needs, the Royals would be foolish to not pursue it.

Ozuna would immediately be their second-best hitter behind Bobby Witt Jr., and arguably their biggest home run threat even while playing compromised.

This Royals team doesn’t do nearly enough damage offensively to make the playoffs, let alone go far in October.

Ozuna can change that. Again, the fit isn’t the greatest, but they need his bat enough to make a trade for him.

1) The Guardians would be a perfect landing spot for Marcell Ozuna

The Cleveland Guardians are yet another AL Central team that can really use Ozuna. Steven Kwan is an awesome table-setter, Jose Ramirez is one of the game’s best players, but who else in this Guardians lineup really scares you? Carlos Santana? Kyle Manzardo? I mean, Bo Naylor is third on this team in home runs. That’s a problem.

Cleveland’s pitching is a strength, as always, but their lineup, outside of Kwan and Ramirez, leaves a lot to be desired (again, as always). We’ve seen this play out in the postseason time and time again.

For the Guardians to finally get over the hump, they’ll need to add a big bat to their lineup. There’s a good chance Ozuna will be the biggest bat out there. Considering how good of a fit he’d be with their AL Central rivals, the Guardians can’t let Ozuna out of their grasp.