Rumor Mill Can't Decide If Braves Will Be Trade Deadline Buyers or Sellers

The Atlanta Braves rumor mill didn't stop after the team began the 2025 season 0-7. It also hasn't halted since the organization has gone 10-7 over the past three weeks.

But with the Braves about to begin the de facto second month of the 2025 regular season, the rumor mill appears to be pointed in two very different directions for Atlanta.

Some pundits, such as ESPN's David Schoenfield, proposed this week that the Braves could sell off key players on expriring contracts this summer. Meanwhile, others such as Newsweek's Zach Pressnell, haven't given up on the idea of the Braves making a big splash with a blockbuster trade acquisition.

Let's address the possibility of the Braves being sellers first. On April 22, Schoenfield named designated hitter Marcell Ozuna a trade candidate for Atlanta.

"It would be shocking not to see the Braves recover from this slow start, but if they don't, Ozuna would be a fascinating player to consider," Schoenfield wrote. "He's in the final year of a five-year deal and the Braves already have a lot of future commitments on the books, so there's no guarantee he'll re-sign with Atlanta, especially since his production warrants a bigger salary than the $16 million he's making this year.

"Ozuna was one of the best hitters in baseball last year and is off to an even better start in 2025, so while he's limited to DH, he would fill a middle-of-the-order need for a DH-starved club (and given the lack of offense across the majors, this is a long list)."

Granted, Schoenfield didn't exactly predict Atlanta to be a seller. But Schoenfield listed 13 MLB teams as clubs that will acquire, or at least try, a star at the trade deadline. The Braves were not one of the 13 on the list.

Schoenfield listed the Chicago Cubs, New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox, and Texas Rangers as the most likely teams to acquire Miami Marlins starter Sandy Alcántara. But on April 23, Pressnell proposed the Braves land the Miami right-hander.

"The lack of depth was boosted when Spencer Strider made his triumphant return from elbow surgery, but he would only make one start before he landed on the injured list again with a strained hamstring," wrote Pressnell.

"The Braves don't have much room to play a man down. If they continue down the path they're on, Atlanta will be on the outside looking in at the postseason in October.

"That means Atlanta could be the perfect destination in a trade for Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcántara."

The issue with the Braves trying to acquire Alcántara is inter-division trades are rare. For Miami to be willing to deal Alcántara to Atlanta, the Braves might have to offer, by far, the best trade package.

With as many suitors as Alcántara is expected to have, offering the best package could be quite expensive.

For the Braves to fully benefit from an Alcántara trade, they also would have to acquire the right-hander immediately -- not at the MLB trade deadline. There are no guarantees, but by late July, Spencer Strider could be back, and fellow starter Reynaldo López could be close to returning too.

By then, though, if the Braves still need a starting pitcher, will they be in the playoff race? Atlanta will begin its road trip this weekend with a 10-14 record.

The Braves need more starting pitcher now. But the Marlins agreeing to an early trade for Alcántara, to a division rival, seems highly unlikely.

It's quite possible that neither Schoenfield or Pressnell will be correct with their trade proposals. The Braves could hold onto Ozuna in the hopes of staying in the race but not sacrifice the future with a blockbuster deal for Alcántara.

Stuck in the middle is not at all ideal. But it's the reality the Braves could be in if they continue to hover around .500 in the MLB standings.

Until it's clear the Braves' 2025 season is heading clearly in one direction, then fans are likely to continue seeing different trade rumors where the team is a buyer or a seller.