One of the biggest question marks ahead for the Atlanta Braves is the future of designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. The Atlanta slugger is poised to hit free agency at the end of the 2025 season. While Ozuna's tenure in Atlanta has at times been rocky, the veteran has been an invaluable source of offense in recent seasons. The DH was often the sole source of offense for the Braves in an injury-plagued 2024 season. Still, Atlanta's recent discourse at catcher could be a sign the team is going to move on from the hitter.
There simply aren't enough at-bats to keep both Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy at the catcher position. Whether it is trading Murphy or moving Baldwin, something must be done to solve a welcome problem. One obvious path could be riding out this year and adding a veteran catcher in the offseason. This would allow Murphy and Baldwin to share catching duties and still both remain in the lineup. However, this would require the team to part ways with Ozuna, who is completely unplayable in the outfield at this stage of his career.
Drake Baldwin's Emergence Could Be the End of Marcell Ozuna
Baldwin is far too elite of an offensive force for the Braves not to make some type of sacrifice. Whether it is putting Baldwin at a position he is less than qualified to play, trading Murphy, or parting ways with Ozuna, it is definite that a path must be cleared for the young left-handed hitter.
With that said, the team is right to continue to be cautious and gather a much larger sample size before making a decision. Everything about Baldwin's approach and maturity at the plate suggests this isn't the outlier but what Atlanta should expect moving forward.
The catcher survived a brutal stretch at the start of the season when not a single bounce could go the rookie's way. Atlanta has plenty of evidence to believe that the version of the catcher we are currently watching is what they can expect for years to come.
Still, the team should evaluate Baldwin and Murphy over the next few weeks of the season and begin to consider what this could mean for Marcell Ozuna. For a player that is going to demand a highly paid contract from an increasingly cheap organization, it wouldn't be shocking to see Atlanta decide it is time to turn the page.