MLB Rumors: 4 Braves players who could be traded before Opening Day
By Mark Powell
The Atlanta Braves have one of the most talented rosters in MLB. After the addition of Chris Sale this winter, Atlanta has very little room to improve, at least on paper. In fact, the Braves pivoted to extensions within their own front office, signing Alex Anthopoulos to a new deal.
The Braves have the best lineup in baseball, and they hit the most home runs in MLB history last season. While their rotation was littered with injuries in 2023, it also showcased just how much pitching depth Atlanta have in its minor-league system. Still, the rotation and bullpen were areas of focus this winter. Anthopoulos traded for Aaron Bummer, Sale and more, parting ways with much of that depth in the process.
If Anthopoulos plans on making another big trade this offseason, he'll likely have to deal from the MLB roster. Predicting which players would be dealt is not easy, but evaluating depth, contract status and more can give fans a hint.
Max Fried would make the list IF the Braves had acquired another ace-level starter this offseason. However, they reportedly whiffed on Aaron Nola and Sonny Gray. For now, Fried is safe, but these four players aren't.
4. Atlanta Braves can afford to trade Marcell Ozuna
Marcell Ozuna's tumultuous Braves tenure could come to a close even earlier than expected. While Ozuna had a 40-plus home run season in 2023, he's rarely been that consistent. The two previous seasons, Ozuna struggled mightily, even being relegated to the bench in favor of replacement-level hitters. Tension between he and Braves fans reached a new level when Ozuna was accused in a domestic violence incident, and later for a DUI.
However, Anthopoulos stuck with Ozuna despite what looked to be an albatross of a contract. Whether that was his doing or mere luck is unclear, though it would have been tough to trade Ozuna's deal at thart point. Now that Ozuna rebounded in a big way in 2023, it makes some sense to trade him at a high point. Ozuna is entering the final year of his contract, and Anthopoulos is unlikely to re-sign him at a high rate. Braves insider Mark Bowman floated the idea in November:
"At different points over the past couple years, the Braves tried to swap Ozuna for the likes of Patrick Corbin or Madison Bumgarner, a pair of left-handed pitchers with negative value. Now, instead of swapping bad contracts, they actually could trade Ozuna to help gain something in return,"Bowman wrote.
Ozuna's .274/.346/.558 slash line last season could go a long way in getting something of substance in return for him.