Braves predicted to sign $170M NL rival, 3-time All-Star, Silver Slugger to upset Phillies

Hunter Cookston

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Braves predicted to sign $170M NL rival, 3-time All-Star, Silver Slugger to upset Phillies image

The Atlanta Braves have relied on Marcell Ozuna to man the DH spot for the last few years, but after the 2025 season, it seems he is no longer as appealing as he once was. The Ozuna era appears to be over following a down season.

“The problem Ozuna faces now is that he has only gotten older, his performance last season was subpar at best, and the teams that were previously considered to be landing spots for him feel unlikely to pursue him this offseason especially with how more and more organizations are treating the DH position,” HTHB’s Eric Cole wrote.

The Braves attempted to get some value out of Ozuna last summer when they tried to trade him at the deadline. However, Ozuna had a no-trade clause and used it whenever convenient.

“It’s possible that while Anthopoulos was discussing trades, he couldn’t agree on a deal that Ozuna’s agent could also sign off on. Just because Ozuna is leaving the deadline out of his hands doesn’t mean the 10-5 rights go out the window. He could have simply handed over those rights to his agent for the discussions,” SI’s Harrison Smajovits wrote.

Now, Ozuna’s departure could open the door for the Braves to be a sneaky option for free agent Kyle Schwarber.

“The Atlanta Braves feel like a sneaky threat here. Phillies fans are bound to gag at the mere thought of it, but Atlanta remains an extremely appealing destination, despite the turbulence of the last couple years. The Braves are mostly waiting on better injury luck, but Alex Anthopoulos has never been under more pressure to rock the boat,” FanSided’s Christopher Kline wrote.

Schwarber to the Braves would be a huge addition. With the way his past couple of seasons have gone, he could add another 40 home runs to the lineup, which is significant.

It may not be the most likely scenario, but there is a pulse there. Schwarber already has experience hitting it into the Chop House at Truist Park, which could make him an intriguing fit.

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