Braves Predicted to Cut Ties With 3-Time All-Star After 6-Year Stay in Atlanta 

After tremendous disappointment this season, the Atlanta Braves could be looking for some fresh starts across their depth chart moving forward.

The Braves entered the season with aspirations of a second championship this decade, but injuries and inconsistent performances have kept them out of the playoff hunt for virtually the whole season.

They bottomed out at 19 games under .500 and were 62-76 entering play on Tuesday.

There aren’t too many free agents to speak of on this Braves team, but the most notable is designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who played out this season, his sixth in Atlanta, on a $16 million club option.

It was a mild surprise that the Braves didn’t trade Ozuna at the July 31 deadline despite making other minor deals to sell off veterans. Is there any shot he’s back in Atlanta next year for his age-35 campaign?

Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly doesn’t think so. Kelly predicted Tuesday that the Braves would let Ozuna walk, thanks in part to his steep drop-off in production from last year to this year.

“Ozuna has hit 147 home runs in parts of six seasons with the Braves. But while he’s still productive, his OPS has dropped from .925 in 2024 to .762 in 2025,” Kelly wrote. “After a disappointing season, the Braves will likely be looking to shake things up, and letting Ozuna, who will turn 35 in November, walk would be a way to do that.”

Ozuna has had a decorated career on the field, which is to say nothing of some off-field incidents that disrupted his time in Atlanta. He finished fourth in Most Valuable Player voting last year and is a three-time All-Star.

The Braves, however, may not believe Ozuna can bounce back enough to make handing him the keys to the DH role worthwhile.