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Trade Deadline: Braves Could Be Buyers, Sellers — or Just Stuck

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The Atlanta Braves are currently 11 games under .500, while being 13 games behind in the NL East. Did anyone expect this to happen?

The Braves won the World Series in 2021. Since then, they have been one of the powerhouses of the National League, having a roster capable of competing every year. In 2025, things have gone the exact opposite. The once-viewed “smart” contract extensions for guys like Michael Harris II have now come back to bite them. The Braves have had a track record of signing their homegrown players who they see excelling early on in their careers.

Harris is a strong example of this, but it has come back to bite Atlanta. The 24-year-old signed a long-term deal in 2022 at the age of 21. It was an eight-year, $72 million contract. This looked great over the first two seasons, where Harris batted .296 during 138 games, but he has yet to show much progress since. The once-viewed “cornerstone” is currently batting .208, with a concerning on-base percentage of .232. Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos has made a career of extending his young stars while still having years of arbitration, instead of riding out on their years of team control. Besides Harris, the team has done it with Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, and many more. Another decision that has potentially cost the Braves was moving on from legendary first baseman Freddie Freeman.

Rumor Mill Has Braves in Uncertain Position for Deadline

Now, Anthopoulos made a decision that he thought best suited the team, finding a cheaper option at first than Freeman.  Following their World Series win, the Braves offered their cornerstone a five-year, $150 million deal, compared to the six-year, $175 million deal Freeman and his team requested. The Braves traded for Matt Olson in response, immediately signing him to an eight-year, $168 million extension. The move sparked controversy, with people accusing Freeman’s agent of never informing him of their final offer. Since 2022, Freeman has still been consistently a better first baseman, batting .315 compared to Olson’s .258, with fewer home runs. Still, there’s an eye-opening difference in WAR; Freeman has 25.1 more wins above replacement.

This piece isn’t meant to criticize the Braves for their contractual strategy. The team won their World Series in 2021 just like they were built to do, while still making the playoffs in every season since. The problem has been finding their way back to the Fall Classic.

The Present and Future

Jun 18, 2025; Cumberland, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Chris Sale (51) pitches against the New York Mets during the ninth inning at Truist Park. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

MLB insider Robert Murray of FanSided reported today that the Braves “will not consider” trading away players at the deadline who are under control beyond this season. The team believes that they will be able to return to playoff form next year, with most of their core players being under contract until 2030. Murray included in this report the name Chris Sale, who is currently under contract through this season while also having a club option. The Braves will not move Sale, no matter the reports. This means the team will likely keep the 2024 NL Cy Young winner under contract for another potential playoff push.  However, this report doesn’t hide the possibility of the Braves being sellers at this year’s deadline.

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Veterans on the Move?

Like every team, the Braves have several veteran contracts that expire after the 2025 season. Marcell Ozuna is a prime example of this, becoming an unrestricted free agent at the start of the offseason. The 34-year-old DH was a massive piece for the Braves in the 2024 season, producing a .302 batting average, along with 39 home runs and 104 RBI, finishing fourth in NL MVP voting. These numbers have taken a deep dive in 2025 — he is now batting .239 with just 12 home runs. Ozuna is still a productive DH option that could suit a team like the New York Yankees in need of DH help. There hasn’t been any movement in his market, but ESPN’s David Schoenfield listed him as a potential acquisition for the San Diego Padres in a recent trade deadline piece.

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Another player who could potentially be moved is veteran catcher Sean Murphy. MLB insider Jim Bowden reported late this afternoon that both the Padres and Rays have shown interest in improving their catcher position. The 30-year-old is on a six-year, $73 million deal, keeping him on the roster through 2028. At first glance, Murphy could be viewed as one of their “cornerstone” pieces. With the recent emergence of Drake Baldwin, the Braves’ former top prospect, things have changed. The 24-year-old rookie was called up to the show following a rib injury from Murphy and has flourished in his role. Baldwin is batting .278 with 11 home runs and 31 RBI, while having a .353 on-base percentage.

The Last Word

While the Braves sit far out of playoff contention in 2025, it wouldn’t be smart to trade away key players like Ronald Acuña Jr. at the deadline, as some pundits have suggested. If the team were to move on from their multiple expiring contracts, they could retool a farm system that ranks 28th on USA Today’s list of organizational strength in prospects.

Main Photo Credit: © Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

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