Are Braves giving up on a potential Marcell Ozuna trade?

With the thought about Atlanta playing its "most productive players," it could be argued that that didn't include Ozuna at the moment. Ozuna hit just .188 in 114 plate appearances in June and has started July slowly as well, posting a .161/.297/.387 slash line in 38 plate appearances.

Sending Ozuna to the bench might help the Braves have more offensive punch, but could it backfire on the franchise if they're truly looking to offload Ozuna at the trade deadline? Ozuna's five-year, $80 million deal expires at the end of this season, and it's rumored that the Braves could be looking to move on from Ozuna after his six years with the club.

Without Ozuna getting a chance to pad those numbers, will teams still be interested in his potential versus his current stats? More than a month of cold hitting could lower interest in Ozuna or a potential return for Atlanta.

With the trade deadline set for July 31 at 6 p.m. (Eastern), the Braves still have time to get Ozuna back in the lineup at some point and see if he will hit. However, the team making a statement by not playing him so far after the All-Star break may tell teams all they need to know about Ozuna's perceived value in Atlanta.