A potential factor in Marcell Ozuna trade discussions

Marcell Ozuna is once again not in the lineup on Friday, as the Braves finally appear to be leaning into Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin splitting time between catcher and DH. That will likely be the case over the second half of the season, especially if Marcell Ozuna gets traded.

The Big Bear has been the subject of trade rumors for about a month now, and it would be pretty shocking if he was not wearing a new uniform in the next couple of weeks. That said, there are a couple of things that could hinder a potential deal getting done.

For starters, the Braves have to find a suitor. Earlier in the season, that would have been no problem, but it’s well known now that Ozuna is playing through a tear in his hip, and that injury has clearly affected his performance with the stick. Since June 2nd, he’s hitting just .172 with three home runs — good for an OPS of .547. However, Ozuna does have two homers in his last five games, so it’s reasonable to expect that some club will take a gamble on him, even if he’s not going bring back very much in a trade.

Additionally, there’s another potential hurdle the Braves will have to consider when finding Ozuna a new home. The veteran has 10-and-5 rights, which are granted to players that have at least 10 years of service time and five years with their current team. This gives Ozuna the power to veto any trade that he’s included in.

Reports have suggested that Ozuna is likely to waive that right in the event of a trade, and why wouldn’t he? The Braves are going nowhere fast, and he’ll have a chance to compete for a championship. Most would be willing to jump ship, especially with him being a free agent at the end of the season.

Still, getting traded is never easy. Marcell Ozuna has made Atlanta his home for the past five years. He’ll surely want to have a say in wherever he gets traded to at this year’s deadline.