Braves Predicted To Hang Tight at Trade Deadline

The Atlanta Braves remain in a peculiar stop six weeks away from the MLB trade deadline. They're presumed to be buyers at the deadline with recent updates showing confidence in not selling.

In a recent story on Bleacher Report, Zachary D Rymer took a new angle, predicting the Braves will simply hang tight and do neither. The Braves playoff hopes are 'careening toward 'kaput,'" but they're far from needing to tear down and start over.

"This isn't a franchise in need of a rebuild. Or even a reboot," Rymer wrote. "A simple reset will do, and the Braves can aim for one of those by keeping their roster intact and perhaps seeking a managerial change over the winter."

Manager Brian Snitker is in the final year of his contract. Any rumor or speculation at this point has come up already.

The Braves will likely only seek a managerial change if he takes the opportunity at the end of his contract. If he goes to general manager Alex Anthopoulos over the winter and says he wants to keep going until he's reached the 50-year mark in professional baseball, he'll more than likely get the chance.

During his near decade as the Braves manager, Snitker has won a World Series, six straight division titles and reached the playoffs seven straight times. He's earned the right to go out on his own accord. A new manager would shake things up for sure, but Snitker likely gets a say in when that shake-up comes.

Rymer mentioned, as many have already, that Ozuna is the most likely player to be traded if anyone actually does. If a minor reset is coming and they're not buying, there is at least logic in trying to get something for Ozuna. They might not get a lot with the season he's having, so it comes down to whether they're ready to move on from him after this season. He's a pending free agent which means there are already decisions coming.

Ozuna has had a sluggish June (.157 average and .522 OPS) as his hip continues to be a nagging issue for him.

The Braves head into their home series with the Mets eight games under .500. Winning that series would push them closer to being buyers. Either way, the indicators out there keep concluding that, at the very least, the Braves won't be sellers.

This team just phoned the Red Sox to check in on Rafael Devers before he went to the Giants. It's clear where this team's head is currently at, and it's not giving up.

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