Quiet market forces Braves to stand pat at Deadline

CINCINNATI -- The Braves’ Trade Deadline was as eventful as their October will be.

Staring at what will likely be their first losing season since 2017, the Braves were expected to at least trade their veterans who will be free agents at the end of this season. But designated hitter Marcell Ozuna and closer Raisel Iglesias were still with the club when Thursday’s Trade Deadline passed.

“I can't force a trade,” Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said ahead of Atlanta's 12-11, 10-inning win over the Reds at Great American Ball Park. “So I understand that people may think we should trade so and so and we should get this guy back, or that guy back. Unfortunately, out of respect to all parties, I can't divulge [specifics].”

Without saying it, Anthopoulos seemed to be saying what Hall of Fame executive John Schuerholz used to say: “It takes two to tango.” A seller needs a proper suitor. In this case, the Braves didn’t find a proper dance partner for Ozuna and Iglesias, both of whom have struggled this year.

“We were not interested in just dumping players and trying to shed some money on a contract,” Anthopoulos said.

While the Braves were willing to listen to any offers, they never tried to move reliever Pierce Johnson ($7 million option for 2026) or any other players contractually controlled beyond this year.

As for Ozuna, he had 10-and-5 trade veto rights. But Anthopoulos said discussions never reached a point where the designated hitter was asked to waive this right.

Ozuna served a domestic violence suspension in 2021 and was arrested again for driving under the influence in 2022. He resurrected his career the following year and had baseball’s ninth-best OPS (.916) from 2023-24. But this year has been far different.

Instead of focusing on the 10-and-5 clause, the $5 million-plus he is owed over the rest of the season or his past legal issues, the number that might have most significantly deflated his market was the .600 OPS he has constructed from June 1 through Thursday’s Deadline.

“Generally speaking, when it comes to trades, if we thought there was a trade where we were getting some value back that we liked, we would have made a trade or two or three or four,” Anthopoulos said. “That didn't present itself. Our goal in this Deadline was to try to get some form of help for 2026 and beyond.”

When the Braves returned from the All-Star break, manager Brian Snitker said his catchers Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin would also share the designated hitter role a majority of the time. This made sense because it gave the team a better chance to win this year and also get a feel for whether this duo could flip-flop between these two roles again in 2026.

Regardless of how much playing time Ozuna gets the rest of the way, his presence over the season’s final two months doesn’t seem to be a benefit for 2026 and beyond.

“Knowing Marcell the way I do, he's always been a pro,” Anthopoulos said. “Even when he wasn't playing, he's been an amazing teammate, helping guys do things.”

The Braves attempted to aid their future on Wednesday, when they acquired right-handed reliever Tyler Kinley from the Rockies. If Kinley is the latest to become far more effective away from Coors Field, his $5 million option for 2026 could be exercised.

When Anthopoulos was able to get versatile Minor League infielder Jim Jarvis from the Tigers on Wednesday night, there was reason to believe he might be able to add some more position-player depth to his system by moving Iglesias, even if they had to eat a significant portion of the approximate $5 million he is owed over the rest of the year.

But the Braves never got what they deemed to be a sufficient return for Iglesias, who has a 4.74 ERA over 46 appearances this year. The 35-year-old reliever will attempt to right himself before hitting the free-agent market this winter.

Ozuna and Iglesias aren’t eligible for a qualifying offer because both were previously offered one by former teams. So this was the Braves' last chance to at least gain some value from them before they exit via free agency.

“Guys have down seasons and that impacts the level of interest,” Anthopoulos said. “That’s just common sense.”