Marcell Ozuna comments on Braves trade rumors

If Friday’s game against the Yankees fooled Braves fans into believing that there was a turnaround brewing, the final two games reminded everyone that this team is going to be trade deadline sellers.

According to several reports, the club has a slew of players on the trade block, including Raisel Iglesias, Pierce Johnson, Aaron Bummer, and Marcell Ozuna, the last of whom might be a little bit more challenging to trade than the others.

Ozuna has the ability to veto any trade, as does any player with at least 10 years of service, including five of which being with the current team. However, it seems he will be open to a deal, per David O’Brien of The Athletic.

“That’s my agent and Alex, that’s what they’re working on,” he said when asked about the possibility of vetoing a trade. “I don’t know. ”

Another obstacle is Ozuna’s hip injury, which has clearly hampered him this season. After being the Braves’ best hitter for about two seasons, he completely fell off a cliff, especially in terms of his power. Over his last 60 games, he only has eight home runs and is barely hitting over the Mendoza line, including a 0-for-5 effort against the Yankees. That’s a notable aspect to any deal, but Ozuna told O’Brien that it’s gotten better.

“It was my hip earlier this season, but now I feel fantastic,” he said. “I just lost my confidence at the plate. I just lost my timing, and that’s what I’ve been battling. As soon as I get my timing back, everything’s coming like last year and the year before.”

That bodes well for the Braves’ chances of trading Marcell Ozuna, and it seems like the club is committed to moving him. Most recently, Atlanta selected Sandy Leon to the major league club, signaling they will continue to stick with the platoon of Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin at catcher and DH with Leon acting as insurance behind the plate.