What was supposed to be a dangerous Atlanta Braves lineup has instead been a huge disappointment this season.

Having full, healthy campaigns from Ronald Acuña Jr. and Austin Riley certainly would have helped. But there were also plenty of established stars in Atlanta who didn’t perform the way they needed to for this team to make a playoff push.

Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna took a big step backward this season, dropping from over a .900 OPS in each of the last two seasons to .751 entering play on Tuesday. It would be a tough season upon which for Ozuna to conclude his six-year Atlanta tenure.

However, with two quality catchers on the roster, it seems as though the Braves have enough incentive to open up the DH role for Ozuna to be low on their wish list. But what if he were to sign with a division rival?

On Tuesday, Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter predicted that the Washington Nationals, whose rebuild has gone on for half a decade at this point, would sign Ozuna in an attempt to add some thump to their lineup.

“The Nationals need someone to help protect rising star James Wood in the middle of the lineup, and slugger Marcell Ozuna could end up providing some nice value relative to his next contract after a middling 2025 campaign,” wrote Reuter. “The focal point for the club should be the pitching staff, but a veteran run producer would also go a long way.”

Ozuna’s season has been at least partially marred by a hip injury, which he played through starting in mid-April. It’s never fair to count on a 35-year-old to bounce back to being a star after an injury, but it’s also very possible he could have another big year or two.

That alone wouldn’t necessarily make the Nationals a team for the Braves or the rest of the National League East to fear. But every division game is tough, and Atlanta might have a more difficult time with Washington moving forward.