Yesterday, I discussed the Atlanta Braves best trade chips if they end up buying at the trade deadline in an attempt to make a second half surge, much like they did in 2021. Even ten games under .500 with fewer than 100 games left to play, it still feels most likely that Alex Anthopoulos attempts to buy rather than sell. It’s just who he is; however, it would be foolish to ignore the possibility of the Braves punting and looking towards the future. With the way they’ve played so far this season, it’s undoubtedly on the table if things don’t turn around over the next six weeks.

• Ranking Atlanta Braves Trade Chips 

Braves Best Sellable Assets

5. Aaron Bummer

Many Braves fans love to hate on Aaron Bummer, and I really can’t understand why. He’s been one of the club’s best relievers over the last two seasons, recording a 3.39 ERA, 2.21 FIP, and 122 ERA+ (22% above league average) since the Braves acquired him a couple of offseasons ago from the Chicago White Sox.

Bummer should garner some interest from competing teams around the league if the Braves decide to sell, and Atlanta has some incentive to move him. After restructuring his deal in the offseason, his salary goes from $3.5 million this season to $9.5 million next year. That’s a lot for a reliever who isn’t exactly a high leverage arm.

4. Raisel Iglesias

Iglesias has been horrid for the Braves in 2024, so much so that he got booted from his role as the team’s closer. He boasts a 6.48 ERA over 25 appearances this season and is averaging 2.5 home runs allowed per nine innings. However, in the three seasons prior, Iglesias was among the best closers in baseball for the Braves, and it’s not like his stuff has experienced a sharp decline. There will be a number of teams calling on him at the trade deadline if Atlanta’s downward spiral continues.

3. Marcell Ozuna

Marcell Ozuna is amid a pretty gnarly slump to begin June, hitting just .094 with a .296 OPS over his last eight games. The fact that he  is playing through a tear in his hip isn’t going to help his trade value either. But while the Braves aren’t going to get any top prospects for Ozuna, there will still be a number of teams interested in trading for one of the better designated hitters in the game on an expiring deal, even if he is a little banged up.

2. Sean Murphy

The only person to appear on both lists, the Braves could look to move Sean Murphy, whether they buy or sell. All signs point to Drake Baldwin being the backstop of the future in Atlanta, and while cases could be made to keep both, there are so many other holes on the roster that need to be addressed. Trading Murphy could potentially fill multiple positions, which is why it has to be on the table regardless of what happens with the Braves leading up to the trade deadline.

1. Chris Sale

By far the best asset the Braves could potentially offer other clubs at the trade deadline is Chris Sale. He’s fresh off a season in which he won the NL Triple Crown and is currently pitching better than anybody in baseball. Not only is Sale the Braves’ best potential sellable asset, but he would undoubtedly be the best player moved at the trade deadline if Alex Anthopoulos goes in that direction.

With that being said, it’s going to take a king’s ransom for the Braves to even consider moving Chris Sale. He’s under contract at a team-friendly rate for next season, and Atlanta’s rotation has more questions than answers when looking towards the future. AJ Smith-Shawver is out for all of next season with a torn UCL, and Spencer Strider hasn’t been the same guy since returning from InternalBrace surgery. Even if the Braves sell, they aren’t trying to rebuild. They would be retooling in an effort to compete in 2026. It will be difficult to do that without Chris Sale’s stability at the top of the rotation.