The only thing the Atlanta Braves have done thus far leading up to the trade deadline is, ostensibly, buy in a deal with the Texas Rangers that landed them veteran Dane Dunning. However, the expectations remains that the Braves and Alex Anthopoulos will sell at the deadline, albeit not a fire sale. And that likely means that several players currently on Atlanta’s roster are spending their last week (or so) with the Braves.

Obviously, with Anthopoulos and the organization’s assertion about not instituting a complete teardown, the oft-floated idea of trading Ronald Acuña Jr. is ridiculous. You can throw that out harder than he threw into third base to hose down Yankees infielder Jorbit Vivas. The same appears to be true about the likes of Chris Sale, Ozzie Albies and other stalwarts on the Braves roster.

However, there might be one veteran signed beyond the 2025 season who Atlanta could still part with in the interest of continuing to build for the future. And then there are three expiring contracts (or close to it) as well that make the most sense. But based on what we’re seeing from the Braves, these three players’ time with the franchise is about to come to a close at the trade deadline.

4. RHP Pierce Johnson

One of the prevailing rumors around the Braves’ trade deadline plans is that the other consideration they’d made beyond expiring contracts would be players who only have one year left on their deal, specifically in the bullpen. Reading between the lines, that means that Atlanta could be keen on trading away either Aaron Bummer or Pierce Johnson. My read, however, is that the Braves will only deal one of the pair, and Johnson seems the far better option for Atlanta to part with.

Put simply, Johnson is the more coveted commodity on a craven reliever market at the trade deadline. His 2.60 ERA on the season is 1.90 points better than Bummer’s and, even though Bummer does have the advantage of throwing for the left side, Johnson is the more proven commodity at this point for a buying contender trying to fortify the bullpen.

Trading Johnson (or Bummer for that matter) would be good business for the Braves. The extra year of control remaining will bump up the price and ultimately the return that Atlanta can get back in a trade, which will better help Anthopoulos likely replenish the farm system. However, just dealing one of the two signed through 2026 ultimately still serves the purpose of planning to contend again next season.

3. DH Marcell Ozuna

Make no mistake, trading Marcell Ozuna won’t be as easy as some are trying to make it seem. The Braves are certainly motivated to do so in the final year of the slugger’s contract, but his 10-5 veto rights allow effectively give him a no-trade clause if he doesn’t like the deal that Atlanta is about to make. On top of that, Ozuna has dropped off a bit from his monster form of a year ago.

While his .762 OPS is a far cry from the .900+ mark he posted in each of the past two seasons, it’s obvious why a buying contender would one of the more proven power bats on the market. Teams like the Houston Astros, who are still without Yordan Alvarez, could use that power at DH, and others like the San Francisco Giants have already proven their aggression on the trade market, but could still use more pop in the lineup.

It might not be the frenzy that Braves fans had once hoped regarding the possibility of dealing Ozuna’s expiring contract away. At the same time, he’ll still hold value in the trade landscape, and the return he’ll garner Atlanta has more value to Anthopoulos than the player does in what’s shaping up to be a lost season.

2. RHP Raisel Iglesias

The Braves are obviously in an unfamiliar position after the past few years as seller, but they have the undeniable advantage of having one of the trade deadline’s most coveted commodities annually: a closer rental to be had. Raisel Iglesias is a proven veteran with postseason experience and, while his 2025 season has been disappointing by his standards (and frustrating for Braves fans), that’s something that contenders will fawn over.

When you have a valuable asset like Iglesias, that also means that teams will be willing to pay a premium in any trade. Yes, the 4.30 ERA isn’t pretty, but Iglesias has still largely shown a lot of signs this season that indicate he’s not quite lost his stuff. Closing out games for the rest of the season with the Braves, however, feels pointless for Atlanta. Barring a truly unforeseen and magical run given their litany of injury woes, the assets that Anthopoulos could demand in return better serve the position that this team is in currently.

Of course, trading Iglesias would raise serious questions for the Braves’ future at the closer position. However, as a pending free agent after this season, that’s something that Atlanta might’ve been facing this offseason anyway, and it’s better to get something in return now than losing him for nothing later.

1. C Sean Murphy

Admittedly, this is my bold take, but it’s one that I believe Anthopoulos is smart enough to consider as he builds for the Braves’ future. While relievers and pitching as a whole are the dominant talking point of most trade deadlines, there is an epidemic throughout baseball of relatively poor catcher play. Most good defensive catchers aren’t hitting, and most who can hit are subpar defensively. So, the fact that the Braves have Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin both on the roster should make the former expendable given the circumstances.

Baldwin’s emergence as a rookie has been one of the bright spots of the Braves season. And yes, there is always a need for big-league catcher depth given the rigors of the position and the need for rest days. At the same time, there is a crunch for playing time between Baldwin and Murphy, and the latter is far more expensive on a deal that runs through 2028 with a club option for 2029. With the league-wide need for catching, Murphy could demand a pretty penny on the market.

That length of control for an above-average defensive catcher with an .829 OPS (and a .781 OPS in three seasons with Atlanta) might quietly be one of the most desirable trade assets any team has. The Braves are operating from a position of luxury, and with the long-term needs in the farm system and even on the big-league club to help contend in the future, trading Murphy could help them acquire a bevy of meaningful pieces.