The Atlanta Braves' weekend series has pushed the team far below .500 and left the team competing in the cellar of the National League. It was a reality check that the expected turnaround simply hasn't happened. Back-to-back series losses have helped drive home where exactly the roster stands and the frustrating path that may lie ahead. The Braves aren't in any position to believe the expected turnaround is still coming. Despite having a talented roster, Atlanta is consistently lacking energy and failing to master the fundamentals of the game. Your two best players have returned, and if anything, the team is playing worse.
It is time to consider that the losses of Freddie Freeman, Dansby Swanson, and Max Fried, combined with an increasingly cheap front office, have cost this team the season. While there is plenty of time to change things, the Braves may find no other choice but to become sellers at the upcoming trade deadline. This isn't to suggest you trade any of the team's building blocks, however, expiring players should be dealt away if things don't improve in the next weeks of the season.
The Atlanta Braves Are Pushing the Front Office Into Trading Slugger Marcell Ozuna
The idea of trading Marcell Ozuna isn't going to sit well with many Braves fans. It is completely understandable to balk at the idea of trading your best hitter for the past two seasons. It is hard to imagine the veteran slugger wearing another uniform before the end of the 2025 season.
It is important to note that if there is any sliver of hope left in Atlanta's 2025 season, there is no way this deal should be considered. As things currently stand, however, it would be foolish not to cash in on trading the veteran to a contending roster. Ozuna is in a contract year and could become the next Braves building block to leave.
Not only have the Braves shown themselves unwilling to pay top dollar in free agency, but the team now has the problem of getting both Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy into the starting lineup. If the season continues to free-fall, you have no choice but to trade Ozuna for future pieces. Even if the team wanted to re-sign the veteran, the front office will still have that chance in free agency.
The fact that this is even a discussion shows how badly things have gone for a team expected to be a World Series contender. It speaks to the loss of franchise players and a group of hitters who show up with zero consistency. Add in Atlanta's lack of investment in the bullpen, and you have the current dumpster fire that has been the Atlanta 2025 season. It is time for the team to begin to consider the increasingly real possibility that if things don't turn around, they may become sellers at the 2025 deadline.