The Braves have several major decisions to make this offseason, and one of them surrounds Ozzie Albies.

The three-time All-Star has $7 million club options for both the 2026 and 2027 campaigns, but for the first time in his career, it isn’t a no-brainer for the Braves to pick them up.

His range, defense, and overall arm strength have steadily declined, with injuries taking a toll. From 2022 to 2024, Albies averaged around 100 games per season, dealing with a slew of injuries, including a broken toe and a broken wrist.

What was once thought to be one of the best bargains in baseball has now turned into a deal that the Braves may want to get out of. I still think the club might be able to trade him, but that’s also no longer a sure thing.

The injuries, particularly the wrist injury, have resulted in a sharp decline in power. It’s culminated in the worst season of Ozzie Albies’ career. He’s got career lows nearly across the board, including average (.222), slugging (.322), OPS (.619), ISO (.100), and wRC+ (75).

Since 2024, Ozzie Albies is slashing .239/.301/.371 over his 735 plate appearances. That isn’t a small sample size. To make matters even more disheartening, the Braves second baseman’s Statcast page features much more blue than red these days.

His Bat Speed is in the 7th percentile, his Hard-Hit % is in the 5th percentile, his Barrel % is in the 9th percentile, his Avg. Exit Velocity is in the 7th percentile, his xBA is 17th percentile, his xSLG is 12th percentile, and his xwOBA is 12th percentile.

Now, advanced analytics haven’t always been kind to Ozzie Albies, even in his best seasons, and there’s a chance that he eventually turns it around. The Braves veteran does have a track record of success in Atlanta.

Still, it’s hard to ignore the combination of advanced analytics and the eye test.

Clearly, the 28-year-old looks like he’s taken a step back, which is hard to believe because he should be in the prime of his career physically. Typically, these sorts of declines due to injuries don’t suddenly improve.

There might not be a more beloved player in Braves Country, but Alex Anthopoulos may have to do the difficult thing and part ways with Ozzie Albies in the not too distant future.