The Atlanta Braves have put themselves in a position where all options must be on the table both in the next 48 hours ahead of the trade deadline and going into the offseason.
When core pieces fail to this level, a drastic level of change is demanded. Atlanta's season fell apart long before the rotation was in shambles; injuries cannot be pointed to as the reason for failure.
Every player except Ronald Acuña Jr should be considered expendable if the right deal is presented. While pieces like Spencer Strider, Chris Sale, and Drake Baldwin obviously shouldn't be shopped, you're at least required to listen.
Included in the list of expendable Braves is infielder Ozzie Albies, who remains mired in the worst season of his career.
The veteran is hitting .218 and has gone through stretches of looking completely lost at the plate. It is no longer surprising if the veteran second baseman steps to the plate and turns back to go to the dugout three pitches later. Short at-bats ending in frustration is now the expectation for a player who was once considered a franchise cornerstone.
With this in mind, trading Albies isn't only on the table should be heavily considered not only ahead of the deadline but in the offseason.
Braves Must Consider Trading Ozzie Albies Before Deadline
Albies has one year on his deal remaining in the form of a $7 million club option. This looked to be a steal only months ago when last season's struggles were believed to be due to injuries. Not only have the struggles continued, but they have drastically regressed.
Albies isn't a star defender and no longer offers any offensive upside. The power is gone, and the average has dipped well below league average. It hurts Albies as well when you look at numbers with runners on base and see how often the veteran has been the complete opposite of clutch.
Trading Albies could be viewed as selling low, while holding onto his contract leaves no room for improvement. There really isn't a right answer for a franchise that has lost its way.
Putting back together a competing group isn't going to be difficult if ownership allows the Braves front office to spend. Part of that means clearing away failing pieces, and Albies is one of Atlanta's biggest offenders in that regard.
The Braves must decide whether they believe this is the outlier for Albies or the end. If it is the latter, now is the time to pull the trigger on a trade and give themselves a better chance to reset moving into the offseason.