Braves news: Marcell Ozuna's future, Whit Merrifield calls out Rockies, more AA magic

The Atlanta Braves thankfully got back in the win column on Tuesday night. After having Labor Day off, the Braves responded to a dreadful series vs. the division rival Philadelphia Phillies by taking Game 1 of their home series vs. the utterly toothless Colorado Rockies. A 3-0 shutout of the NL West doormats propelled NL Cy Young favorite Chris Sale to a blistering 16-3 on the season for Atlanta.

The game at Truist Park was highlighted by Sale's seven innings of brilliance, two hitless innings from Joe Jimenez and Raisel Iglesias, as well as great performances at the plate from Michael Harris II and Gio Urshela. However, it was also marred by a scary moment in which infielder Whit Merrifield got drilled in the head by a 95 MPH fastball. Oh, he had some things to say about that after the game.

All the while, Marcell Ozuna continues to have one of his best seasons at the plate in his big-league career. He went 1-for-3 at the plate to increase his batting average to .306 on the season. He is within reach of 40 home runs and 100 runs batted in. He should eclipse both benchmarks well before September ends like Billie Joe Armstrong always wants it to. He is an Oakland Athletics fan after all...

So without further ado, let's dive head first into a healthy helping of some delicious Braves news then!

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More Alex Anthopoulos magic when it comes to Chris Sale's contract

The Braves are starting to run laps on the Boston Red Sox when it comes to the Chris Sale and Vaughn Grissom trade. Atlanta moved on from a popular middle infield prospect in favor of a 30-something, formerly broken-down left-handed starting pitcher. As it turns out, the Braves should have their first NL Cy Young winner since Tom Glavine registered his second way back in 1998.

As stated above, Sale improved to 16-3 on the season, while lowering his ERA to 2.46 on the year. His nine strikeouts put him firmly past 200 on the season with 206. We are looking at a pitcher who is on pace to win the pitching triple crown in his first year with the team he grew up rooting for in Lakeland, Florida. Even better, he is under contract for through next season, with a club option for 2026, too.

I don't know if we can expect this type of season next year and in 2026 out of Sale, but he is undeniably in his bag right now. This is the type of season that will help propel him to Cooperstown. We are getting to watch him pitch truly unencumbered baseball, akin to his peak in his mid-20s while he was with the Chicago White Sox. Alex Anthopoulos has to be loving this trade every single day.

A change of scenery may have been all that Sale needed to get back to being an all-time pitcher.

Whit Merrifield calls out Colorado Rockies pitchers after getting drilled

Whit Merrifield may have a point. During Tuesday's night game vs. the Rockies, Merrifield got drilled in the head by a poorly located fastball. He had to be removed from the game in favor of Luke Williams. With how many injuries the Braves have endured this season, enough is enough is enough! Merrifield was absolutely furious about how pitchers in the game today have no repercussions for their actions.

Colorado may have taken the brunt of this from Merrifield's quote, but this is a league-wide issue.

“The guys are throwing as hard as they can and they don’t care where the ball goes. It is driving me nuts and I hate where the game is at right now with that," Merrifield said.

If you thought that quote was damning of Colorado pitching, watch Merrifield cook in the postgame.

No, this isn't some old man yelling at clouds; it is all about player safety. With pitchers no longer being asked to hit, or stand in the box, they can get away with this for as long as Rob Manfred has his head buried in the sand. Baseball used to be able to police itself from this ever-present reckless nonsense coming from 60 feet and six inches away. The saddest part is the pitchers or baseball does not care.

Merrifield is right in that it may take a totally preventable tragedy for pitchers to be held accountable.

Marcell Ozuna's future with the Atlanta Braves looks to be blinding bright

It is amazing what has happened. What was once the worst contract in baseball no longer is. The four-year, $65 million deal Marcell Ozuna signed in February 2021 after a great 60-game season with the Braves during the COVID year was every bit an albatross during its first two years. He was arguably the worst hitter in baseball from 2021 to 2022. Then it completely flipped during May 2023.

Last season saw Ozuna hit .247 with 40 home runs and 100 runs batted in. So far this year, he has been even better. Ozuan is hitting .306 with 37 home runs and 98 runs batted in over the course of 138 games. Shohei Ohtani may be doing similar things for the Los Angeles Dodgers, in addition to stealing bases, as their DH, but keep in mind how much money The Boys in Blue will be paying him.

As if we needed even more Alex Anthopoulos magic, get a load of this. Ozuna will almost certainly be extended a club option for 2026. This means he will be making around $16 million ahead of his age-34 season. His refined approach at the plate has been tremendous to watch. It has become an art form for him, really. A true renaissance man at the plate, if you will for the Braves' superstar DH.

A combined three more years of control for Ozuna and Chris Sale is why Anthopoulos is still the best.