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Braves Projected to Trade $111 Million All-Star After Chris Sale News

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jake Elman | Last updated May 30, 2025 1:10 PM ET

As has often been the case over the last two seasons, the dynamic Atlanta Braves duo of Marcell Ozuna and Chris Sale struck again on Thursday night.

Ozuna went 1-for-3 with two walks and two runs scored in Atlanta’s 9-3 victory over the rival Philadelphia Phillies. Sale, meanwhile, became the fastest pitcher in MLB history to 2,500 strikeouts with a sixth-inning punchout of Phillies third baseman Edmundo Sosa.

If things keep at their current rate, though, the two may not be teammates much longer. Bleacher Report’s Kerry Miller listed Ozuna among those that the 26-29 Braves could trade this summer, assuming they wave the white flag and pivot to 2026.

Ozuna, who turns 35 in November, remains an appealing DH target despite diminished power numbers. The three-time All-Star entered Wednesday hitting .278 with a stellar .428 on-base percentage; only New York Yankees star Aaron Judge (.488) and Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Will Smith (.457) rank higher.

Perhaps more importantly, Ozuna is in the final season of a five-year, $80 million contract. What sounds better than a rental bat who still reaches base at an exceptional pace?

However, Ozuna only has nine homers through 52 games and is on pace for his fewest home runs since 2022. Ozuna averaged a .552 slugging percentage the last two seasons, though he’s only mustered a .464 mark thus far.

Any team that would potentially acquire Ozuna, who leads the sport with 47 walks, is doing so knowing he’ll likely almost exclusively be the DH. Ozuna has played only 14 outfield innings since the start of 2023, and none in the last two years.

We’ll see how many more times Sale and Ozuna can lead the Braves to victory, especially with Atlanta now 5.5 games back in the Wild Card chase.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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