Braves' Marcell Ozuna Involved in Wild MLB Trade Rumor

The MLB rumor mill continues to flip flop on if the Atlanta Braves will depart with assets or acquire help at the trade deadline this summer. That has to be annoying for Braves Country, but it gives us writers plenty to discuss.

The Braves enter Saturday on a mini-losing streak having lost the past two games. While they remain one of the better teams around baseball over the past two weeks, they're also still trying to dig out of a big early hole from March.

As if right on cue from the two consecutive losses, pundits have again floated Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna as a trade candidate for this summer.

MLB Network's Greg Amsinger appeared to ignite this latest rumor around Ozuna.

“They're turning things around. They could have an above .500 record by the end of the weekend," Amsinger said on Wednesday. "But Marcell Ozuna, if they're out of it, they've got to move on.

"His value is through the roof when he plays. He's massively important. So many teams need Slug. They will give them tons of prospects for one Marcell Ozuna."

Ozuna is in the final year of his contract with the Braves, so he will be a free agent this winter. That makes him a prime candidate to be moved at the deadline if the Braves are indeed out of the race.

That's not a new opinion. ESPN's David Schoenfield essentially made the same suggestion -- that the Braves must trade Ozuna if they aren't a contender in July -- on April 22.

What's new in this round of Ozuna rumors is the potential of the designated hitter landing with the Philadelphia Phillies. On Friday, Athlon Sports' Jon Conahan proposed the possibility of that happening.

"Ozuna, one of the top power bats in baseball, would be a welcoming addition for any team in the league, including the Philadelphia Phillies, who need outfield help and would love to add a hitter of his caliber to the lineup," wrote Conahan.

"Yes, the Braves and Phillies trading together might not make too much sense, but if Philadelphia is willing to part ways with any of its top prospects, Atlanta isn't in a situation to get creative and not send him to a team because of that."

My biggest question -- as intriguing as it might be (from the Phillies perspective) to have Ozuna join the Philadelphia lineup, where is he going to play?

Kyle Schwarber has played only two games in left field this season and is Philadelphia's everyday DH. Ozuna has yet to take the field this spring. He didn't last year either. Since the start of the 2023 season, Ozuna has made two appearances in the outfield.

If Ozuna could still play outfield, he would already be making at least the weekly appearance in the field. That would allow the Braves the chance to give catching prospect Drake Baldwin more at-bats (using Sean Murphy more often as the DH).

But that's not happening, at all. The Phillies would be native to believe Ozuna could play outfield for them.

That aside, though, if I'm general manager Alex Anthopoulos, Ozuna isn't playing for the Phillies on my watch. Call me bitter over the 2022 and 2023 playoffs. But the only reason the Braves should trade Ozuna to the Phillies is if Philadelphia makes, by far and away, the best trade offer.

If Ozuna is going to have the market pundits have suggested, it would be very, very difficult for the Phillies to outbid every potential suitor. And why would they want to for another player who can't field?

But as I wrote last week, the only way for the Braves to end crazy trade speculation around Ozuna is to start winning more games and climb above .500.