With all of the struggles, many have speculated that the Braves may look to be sellers at the upcoming MLB trade deadline, and recently MLB insider Bob Nightengale shed light on one potential candidate–although not someone the Braves are necessarily looking to move right this second.

“Even with Atlanta All Star second baseman Ozzie Albies’ struggles this year, Atlanta plans to pick up his $7 million option this winter, and will at least listen to trade offers for him. Albies also has a $7 million club option in 2027,” reported Nightengale, per USA Today.

This would seem to indicate that the Braves plan to keep Albies past this week’s trade deadline and open up those conversations at some point this offseason.

A trainwreck for the Braves

Entering this year, many expected the Braves to be one of the MLB teams with a legitimate chance to compete for a World Series championship, something they haven’t won since the 2021 season.

However, the Braves stumbled out of the gates to an 0-7 start, and things have somehow gotten worse from there. While injuries were initially blamed for the struggles and are still definitely a huge factor, Atlanta has also seen major regression from several key players on its roster, including Albies, among others.

The Braves also recently benched Marcell Ozuna, and his name has come up frequently in trade discussions for other teams looking to add some power hitting to their lineup. Ozuna has the ability to veto any trade if he so chooses.

All told, it’s very possible that the Braves’ rotation could look very different at this time next week, as the team looks to bring back any assets they can for their freefalling current roster.

In any case, after the Rangers series, the Braves will next take the field on Monday for a set against the Kansas City Royals.