It’s officially “don’t rule anything out” season in MLB. Teams across the league are beginning to draw lines between buyers and sellers, and the NL East is no exception, between veterans in odd roster fits, surging bats on non-contenders or even a top prospect with big-league value.

There’s a non-zero chance that Braves’ Marcell Ozuna will headline a list of surprising trade candidates in the division.

Atlanta Braves, Marcel Ozuna

There were reasons to expect the 2025 MLB season to be Marcell Ozuna’s last with the Atlanta Braves. Sure, he’s a great hitter, but he’s restricted to being a DH every day at this point in his career, he’s 34 years old, and he’s likely going to be searching for more money than the Braves would be willing to pay him in free agency this winter.

With that being said, nobody expected Ozuna’s last season in Atlanta to be cut short. With Atlanta now sitting at 28-38 on the year, its postseason odds continue to dip. If the Braves know Ozuna is going to walk in free agency after the year, and they believe they don’t have a realistic shot to make the postseason, a trade probably will occur sometime ahead of July’s deadline.

It’d be pretty wild to see a Braves roster this talented wave the white flag in July, but at this point, that outcome can’t be ruled out.

Miami Marlins, Kyle Stowers

Miami Marlins can sell incredibly high on Kyle Stowers. One of the few bright spots on the 2025 Miami Marlins has been Kyle Stowers, who is proving he belongs at the MLB level in his first full season. Stowers is slashing .274/.342/.470 with 10 home runs and 33 RBI in 61 games played. He strikes out a lot, but hits the ball incredibly hard and has a great arm.

Given how well Stowers has played and the fact that he isn’t even arbitration-eligible until 2027, makes him a strange trade candidate, but hear me out. He’s 27 years old, and the Marlins are still several years away from being even close to competitive. Trading him now, potentially at his peak, in exchange for players who will be cheaper when the Marlins are competitive makes more sense for this franchise, which has always been incredibly frugal when it comes to spending.

Ultimately, there’s a reason why FanSided’s Robert Murray listed him among several surprising trade candidates.

To be abundantly clear, if the Marlins don’t get what they ask for, they can, and should, hold onto him. Stowers is a 27-year-old up-and-coming player with half a decade of club control. He should fetch a monster haul. If, for whatever reason, that offer isn’t out there, the Marlins can and should try to build around him.

Washington Nationals, Nathaniel Lowe

Trading Kyle Finnegan’s expiring contract makes sense for a Washington Nationals team that’s still a year or two away from competing for a postseason berth, but he’d be an obvious trade candidate. A guy like Nathaniel Lowe, though, who has an extra year of club control, would be more of a surprise. Still, he should probably be dealt.

Lowe has had a down year in Washington, slashing .230/.293/.381 in 66 games played, but he’s hitting .300 with runners in scoring position, and his OPS against right-handed pitching (.734) is nearly 200 points higher than his mark against southpaws (.542). Washington’s left-handed heavy lineup has been a bit of a strange fit for the left-handed hitting Lowe, and he’s had to face a lot of left-handed pitching because of how left-handed heavy their lineup is.

He should see his numbers perk up elsewhere, and the Nationals can acquire someone who fits a bit better age-wise (Lowe turns 30 years old in July) and lineup-wise. Several teams should show interest in acquiring Lowe considering his solid track record, postseason experience, and additional year of control. That should give Washington an opportunity to cash in on a player who has been a bit of a wonky fit.

New York Mets, Tylor Megill

Entering the season, most MLB fans expected the offense to lead the way for the New York Mets. Instead, the opposite has happened. The starting rotation has been among the leaders in ERA all year, and the bullpen has been dominant, leading to the Mets having one of the best pitching staffs in the majors. What’s been most impressive is that the Mets’ rotation has thrived with Paul Blackburn, Frankie Montas, and Sean Manaea combining to make one start to this point.

Blackburn is back, but in a bullpen role. Montas’ return is imminent, and Manaea isn’t too far behind him. Sooner rather than later, the Mets will have more starters than spots, and that’ll force them to make an uncomfortable decision. Rather than keep Tylor Megill stashed at Triple-A, the Mets should trade him.

It’d be a strange development to see the Mets deal a pitcher like Megill who has established himself as an MLB-caliber starter this season and still has two additional years of club control after this one, but trading him to a team that needs starting pitching (there are several) for a player who can fill an additional need on this Mets roster, whether that be in the bullpen or even in center field, could make a lot of sense.

It’s never ideal to lose starting pitching depth, but with Blackburn back, Manaea and Montas not far behind, and prospects like Nolan McLean, Blade Tidwell, and Brandon Sproat in Triple-A, the Mets should be fine depth-wise and might benefit from trading Megill to bolster a weaker spot on the roster.

Philadelphia Phillies, Mick Abel

This one is easily the most controversial choice on the list, but it makes more sense than some Philadelphia Phillies fans might want to admit. Mick Abel is a 23-year-old top prospect having a phenomenal season who has impressed in two of his three MLB starts. Aaron Nola’s injury update is allowing him to remain in the rotation full-time for a bit, but Nola is expected to return at some point, and we can’t forget that Philadelphia’s top prospect, Andrew Painter, is a starting pitcher in Triple-A.

When he’s healthy, Nola will join Zack Wheeler, Jesus Luzardo, Cristopher Sanchez, and Ranger Suarez in what might be the best rotation in the majors. That’s with Abel and Painter both on the outside looking in. Sure, the Phillies could move a guy like Suarez to the bullpen to open room for Painter or Abel, but they can also leave Suarez where he is and trade Abel at his peak for an exciting return.

The Phillies are a team trying to win now with several weaknesses. Their bullpen is a problem, and their outfield might be an even bigger concern. Abel, a top starting pitching prospect with immense upside and more than half a decade of club control, can help the Phillies plug a couple of holes in a big way.

Obviously, the Phillies shouldn’t just trade him to trade him, but the demand for a player like him should be substantial. He might be the most intriguing asset available. In their position, the Phillies must consider taking advantage of that.