Report: Braves ‘would love to have’ Phillies slugger if Marcell Ozuna walks in free agency

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos will have decisions to make on Raisel Iglesias and Marcell Ozuna, who are set to be unrestricted free agents this winter, along with team-options on Ozzie Albies, Pierce Johnson, Orlando Arcia, and Chris Sale.

Some seem like no-brainers, like Albies, Johnson and Sale. Atlanta will undoubtedly be picking those team options unless injuries arise, but other decisions are not so cut and dry. Do the Braves bring back Iglesisas and Ozuna? My gut feeling would say at least one of them will be playing in Atlanta next season.

Iglesias has struggled to start the year, so it’s almost impossible to predict what the Braves will do with the veteran closer, but Ozuna? He’s been the best hitter in Atlanta’s lineup for two years now.

Since the beginning of the 2023 season, which includes a month in which Ozuna hit .085 with a .397 OPS across 18 games, the Big Bear owns a .286 average, gets on base at a .371 clip, has hit 87 home runs, and batted in 226 runs. All of that is good for an OPS that is nearly 50% above league average.

The Braves do have a logjam of sorts at the catcher position with Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin, so there’s a chance they decide to let Ozuna walk, use his $16 million salary elsewhere, and have Baldwin assume DH duties.

What doesn’t make a lot of sense is replacing Marcell Ozuna with Marcell Ozuna, like Jim Bowden recently suggested. In the MLB pundit’s list of top 2025-26 free agents, Bowden reports that if Kyle Schwarber tests the free agent waters, the Braves “would love to have him” if Ozuna is lost to free agency.

“Schwarber is arguably the best teammate in the game, reaches base at a 39 percent clip and is always in the hunt for the home run crown. He’s a player most teams will covet if they have an opening or flexibility at the DH spot. The Phillies want to retain Schwarber and are prepared to give him a long-term contract at the appropriate time. However, several other teams would love to have him, including the Braves (if they lose Marcell Ozuna in free agency), Reds (who could use his power and leadership), Padres (he’d be a great fit in their clubhouse) and AL Central teams like the Tigers, Royals and Guardians who all need more power.”

It doesn’t make much sense for the Braves to replace Ozuna with someone who will cost a similar amount and is a similar player, just two years younger. Ozuna is actually a more consistent hitter. Since 2023, Schwarber has a lower average, on-base percentage, and OPS.

What Schwarber does have that nobody can dispute is a clutch factor. Braves Country should know as well as anyone what his presence in the playoffs provides for a team. But set to turn 35-years-old next season, it’s hard to figure Marcell Ozuna is going to cost more than Kyle Schwarber. They’ll probably get similar AAVs, but Schwarber could get a longer deal, given he’s a couple of years younger.

More so, the presence Ozuna provides in Atlanta’s clubhouse cannot be overstated. Not that Schwarber can’t provide similar vibes, but Ozuna has been lauded for the teammate he’s become during his time in Atlanta. Losing him in free agency would be a gut-punch in more ways than one, but Kyle Schwarber certainly would not be a bad consolation prize.