All signs continue to point to the Atlanta Braves shipping off designated hitter Marcell Ozuna at the trade deadline. The Athletic wrote up on one player from each team who will be wearing a new uniform next week – i.e., after the deadline – and Ozuna was naturally the Braves’ pick.
He joins his former Braves teammate Michael Soroka on the list. The Braves DH carries a solid reputation at the plate and is a pending free agent; however, he’s seen a major decline recently.
“Ozuna was the second-best DH in baseball over the 2023-24 seasons, behind Shohei Ohtani. He got off to another strong start this season, albeit with more walks and fewer homers while playing through a hip injury. But Ozuna, on an expiring contract, slumped badly since early June, and recently lost regular DH duties as manager Brian Snitker decided to go with catchers Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin in the lineup most games, one at DH,” the Athletic’s David O’Brien wrote for Ozuna’s section.
While he’s seen as the most likely to be moved, his value has taken a major hit compared to what it would have been a couple of months ago.
Heading into Friday’s series with the Rangers, Ozuna is batting .235 with a .749 OPS, 117 OPS+, 13 home runs and 42 RBIs. It’s been a tough follow-up to an All-Star season that saw him finish fourth in MVP voting.
Since the Braves returned from the All-Star Break, Ozuna has been penciled into the starting lineup twice and has pinch hit twice. He’s 0-for-6 in those combined appearances.
The Braves are only projected to move players with expiring contracts. Players who are under contract for 2026 or later are either sticking around or could be potentially available in the offseason.
Two other players the Braves are reportedly shopping at the deadline are closer Raisel Iglesias and reliever Pierce Johnson.
The MLB Trade Deadline is set for Thursday, July 31 at 6 p.m.
