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Officially six weeks out from the 2025 MLB trade deadline, teams like the Atlanta Braves are starting to mull over their options.<\/p>\n
At 34-40, six games back in the NL Wild Card race, the Braves aren\u2019t out of it. But they\u2019re not exactly in it either. They\u2019re stuck, trying to figure out their identity with a roster full of talent and a front office that has built its reputation on knowing exactly when to push.<\/p>\n
This time, though, there\u2019s no obvious answer. And that makes Atlanta\u2019s situation all the more intriguing.<\/p>\n
Marcell Ozuna Trade Rumors<\/strong><\/p>\n The Braves\u2019 season hasn\u2019t been short on turbulence. They\u2019ve already weathered two separate seven-game losing streaks.<\/p>\n And yet, Ronald Acuna Jr. is back to looking like one of the best players on the planet. Spencer Strider is nearing a return. And general manager Alex Anthopoulos has gone on record saying they intend to buy. Thomas Harrigan of MLB.com noted Saturday that the team\u2019s \u201ccontrollable assets\u201d like Cy Young winner Chris Sale won\u2019t be traded.<\/p>\n \u201cNo, zero [chance],\u201d Anthopoulos said, per Harrigan. \u201cI\u2019ve seen the speculation. It\u2019s completely ridiculous to me. We are not selling, especially someone that has club control beyond the current year. Will not happen. I never make definitive statements unless I\u2019m going to stick to them. Once you make definitive statements and then you go back on them, you\u2019re a liar and you\u2019re done.<\/p>\n \u201cWill. Not. Happen. Bold, italicize it, caps. So much so that I\u2019m trying to make a trade now \u2014 it\u2019s very hard right now to make a trade in June \u2014 just to signal to everybody that we will not sell.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n Still, the door can never be completely shut, especially this close to July. And in a deadline landscape this congested, that matters.<\/p>\n If the Braves decide to back off and sell, it might all start with Marcell Ozuna, who could enter free agency in 2026. He\u2019s expected to receive $77,307,692 over four years once he hits the market, per Spotrac.<\/p>\n Braves Won\u2019t Throw In The Towel At Trade Deadline<\/strong><\/p>\n Ozuna\u2019s power has regressed a bit, but his on-base skills remain strong \u2014 he\u2019s hovering around a .379 OBP. He\u2019s a pending free agent, he\u2019s got playoff experience, and he\u2019s a proven middle-of-the-order bat if he\u2019s shipped to another contender.<\/p>\n \u201cOzuna is by far the best player on that short list, which also includes relievers Raisel Iglesias and Rafael Montero and outfielder Alex Verdugo,\u201d Harrigan wrote on June 21.<\/p>\n The Braves are the team everyone\u2019s watching. One bad stretch could shift their deadline plans overnight. One hot streak could lock them in as buyers.<\/p>\n And across the league, that ripple would be felt instantly.<\/p>\n For now, they\u2019re saying the right things. They\u2019re planning to compete. They\u2019re staying the course. But each loss chips away at that stance. Each injury tests their depth. And each quiet day on the trade market increases the pressure.<\/p>\n Either way, they\u2019ll matter. And that\u2019s why all eyes are on them. That said, any potential second-half push could be decided on however they choose to move forward with Ozuna.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Braves\u2019 3-Time All-Star Emerging As Key Trade Deadline Target Officially six weeks out from the 2025 MLB trade deadline, teams like the Atlanta Braves are starting to… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":63470,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-63469","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n