Braves' Ozzie Albies faces unavoidable dark cloud that could define his future in Atlanta

Hunter Cookston

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Braves' Ozzie Albies faces unavoidable dark cloud that could define his future in Atlanta image

The Atlanta Braves have several options to explore this offseason, most of which involve pitching and the shortstop position. Exercising Ozzie Albies’ contract option was also a significant move — not only because it’s a team-friendly deal, but because this could be his final season to prove himself within the organization.

“The Braves are going to pick up their club option on infielder Ozzie Albies. The club hasn’t announced the decision yet, but president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos confirmed the move in a radio appearance, per Mark Zinno of 92.9 The Game,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams wrote.

The decision came as somewhat of a surprise, especially after GM Alex Anthopoulos cast doubt about Albies’ future at the end of the season. His comments at the time suggested that Albies might be headed for free agency this winter.

“With all these options (on players), we always make the decision at the end of the year — you have five days after the World Series, and that’s when you make the decision. It’s just, things can happen, things change. You always wait,” Anthopoulos said.

Albies faces two possible outcomes this season: he can either prove he deserves to stay in a Braves uniform, or, if injuries once again derail his year, he could find himself packing his bags. The Braves are unlikely to be lenient after this season — it’s now or never.

“This is one of the easiest decisions of the offseason for Atlanta's front office. However, everyone will be watching closely to see how this season will impact his future with the organization. If he stays healthy, things could work out well for each side. If the injuries continue to pile up, Albies could be playing elsewhere come 2027,” HTHB’s Steven Teal wrote.

Braves fans are hoping Albies sticks around — after all, the dynamic duo of Ronald Acuña Jr. And Ozzie Albies would be sorely missed if they were ever split up. Albies is a talented player when healthy, but durability has been his biggest issue year after year.

The entire Braves roster will enter next season hungry, but Albies needs to be a different kind of hungry. In many ways, this is a contract year for the veteran — and possibly his last chance to prove he still belongs in Atlanta.

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