Braves Rumors: Marcell Ozuna trade bait, Vaughn Grissom confidence, Olson vs Freeman

Braves Rumors: Is Marcell Ozuna trade bait?

Marcell Ozuna hit another home run on Tuesday night, as Bryce Elder shut down the Yankees for another Braves victory. With Ozuna’s contract suddenly looking for affordable than in years past, could Atlanta look to trade him away this offseason?

FanSided’s Josh Wilson theorized this exact point last week:

"“Ozuna has one year left on his current contract for $18 million, with a team option in 2025 for $16 million. Even though Ozuna comes with some baggage, both on and off the field, teams in desperate need of some designated hitting help could be persuaded into taking that final year off the Braves hands in a trade, risk associated and all. If Ozuna keeps raking it as he has this season, though, it might not even take that much convincing.”"

Considering Ozuna’s rough off-field history, it might make some sense for Anthopoulos to sell high on the slugger, who is primarily used as a designated hitter anyway. Doing so could make room for a free-agent or trade addition, or potential Travis d’Arnaud to be the full-time DH. Vaughn Grissom, also mentioned earlier in this piece, would thrive in a spot where he only had to worry about his bat, rather than his glove.

Trading Ozuna could also help Atlanta replenish its farm system, which has grown rather barren with trades for Matt Olson and Sean Murphy in the recent past.