Despite some initial interest at the trade deadline, the Atlanta Braves were unable to move veteran slugger Marcell Ozuna, with some reports surfacing that the long-time Brave leveraged his 10-5 rights (10+ years in the league, 5+ years with the same team) in order to veto potential trades, preferring to finish out the season in Atlanta.
Ozuna might live to regret that decision with the Braves scaling back his playing time in an effort to find more at-bats for younger players who have a future with the club in 2026 and beyond.
Turning 35 in the offseason, a lack of mobility has basically ensured Ozuna will no longer be a viable option in the outfield, and with Atlanta looking in a different direction, the three-time All-Star will likely be looking for a new employer come the offseason.
Marcell Ozuna’s cold stretch will cost him dearly as the Braves look to the future
It’s clear that Ozuna is one of many Braves who have played their way out of the club’s 2026 plans. Ozuna went from playing some of the best baseball of his career in 2023 and 2024, cracking 79 homers over that two-year stretch and putting up wRC+ numbers of 140 and 154, respectively, to looking like a shell of his former self as the season has gone on.
The 2025 season began with Ozuna looking as if he’d continue his fearsome hitting, with a .915 OPS in the season’s opening month. He followed that up with a .277/.415/.436 line in May before hitting a wall on June 1.
Since June 1, Ozuna has hit just .189/.301/.362 with 11 homers and some inconsistent power production overall. In the months of July and August, he posted ISO of .241 and .234, showcasing the pop he’s been known for. However, those thunderous performances are sandwiched between an anemic .099 ISO in June and a .091 mark so far in September.
One thing that has been consistent in 2025 has been his inability to consistently hit for average. After batting .302 last year, Ozuna has hit sub-.200 every month from June on and has seen his season average slip to .228.
Now, with him getting less playing time down the stretch run, he’s running out of opportunities to prove that his nosedive has been a fluke and may ultimately live to regret not being moved to a better situation at the trade deadline as he looks to cash in on what might be the final payday of his career.
