The Atlanta Braves aren’t just having a rough season — they’re unraveling. At 40–53, buried 12.5 games back in the NL East and trailing by 9.5 in the Wild Card race, Atlanta’s 2025 campaign is rapidly shifting from underwhelming to unrecoverable.
A team that once defined National League dominance is now limping toward the trade deadline with more questions than answers — and a front office caught between past success and present reality. All stats below come from Baseball Reference and Fangraphs.
A Roster Ravaged by Injuries
It’s not just the record — it’s the wreckage. The Braves entered the season without Spencer Strider and Ronald Acuña Jr., and then lost Reynaldo López to shoulder surgery by mid-April. Both Strider and Acuña have since returned, but the rotation has continued to fall apart.
In just the last month, Atlanta lost:
- Chris Sale (fractured ribs)
- Spencer Schwellenbach (fractured elbow)
- AJ Smith-Shawver (Tommy John surgery)
Reliever Joe Jiménez hasn’t thrown a pitch this season following offseason knee surgery. With only Strider, Bryce Elder, and Grant Holmes healthy, the Braves were forced to promote (and send back down) 20-year-old Didier Fuentes, who owns a 13.85 ERA in four starts.
Stars Struggling, Role Players Vanishing
Beyond the injury bug, regression has bitten hard.
Ozzie Albies (.221/.292/.320) and Michael Harris II have cratered at the plate. Austin Riley and Marcell Ozuna are hitting better than average but well below their own standards. Even Raisel Iglesias, their once-dominant closer, had a brutal start to the year, though he’s recently posted 10 2/3 scoreless innings with 15 strikeouts and just one walk.
Meanwhile, Jurickson Profar is trying to redeem himself after serving an 80-game suspension for PEDs — but his bat alone isn’t enough to resuscitate the season.
The Sale Dilemma — And a Deadline Identity Crisis
With Atlanta floundering, the natural assumption is that the Braves might look to offload some veteran pieces — maybe even consider bigger roster surgery. But President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos isn’t biting.
When asked about the possibility of trading Chris Sale just before the lefty’s injury, Anthopoulos was crystal clear: “A trade of Sale WILL. NOT. HAPPEN. Bold, italicize it, caps.”
Despite injuries piling up and postseason odds sitting at 3.7%, the Braves still don’t intend to listen to players controlled beyond 2025, per FanSided’s Robert Murray. That likely means a quiet deadline, at least for their core. But a few rentals could still be in play.
Trade Chips That Could Move
- Raisel Iglesias (RHP, Closer): The 35-year-old has recovered from a brutal start, flashing a dominant stretch with elite peripherals. His $16M salary is hefty, but he’s owed just over $5M post-deadline. A team hunting bullpen help could bite, especially with his track record (2.96 career ERA, 233 saves).
- Marcell Ozuna (DH): Solid season, but nothing close to his 2023-24 peak. The .236/.363/.385 line is decent, but the power’s gone missing. A 143-PA slump (.161/.254/.250) has crushed his trade value, and he’s also making $16M. The Braves would need to eat money or attach value to move him.
- Rafael Montero (RHP): Quietly decent in relief with a 3.86 ERA, Montero has improved his command after a rocky start. With Houston eating most of his $11.5M salary, he’s cheap for buyers needing middle relief.
Could the Braves Listen to Bigger Names This Winter?
Rumors continue swirling around Sean Murphy, especially with Drake Baldwin emerging as a legit starting catcher. Murphy is signed through 2028 at $15M annually, and while a trade is more likely this offseason, the situation bears watching.
Then there’s Pierce Johnson (2.76 ERA, 27.9% K rate) and Aaron Bummer, both of whom could draw deadline attention as quality bullpen arms with limited team control left.
Then there’s the wildcard named Ozzie Albies. He’s under contract through 2027 with $7M club options in 2026 and 2027 — peanuts for a former All-Star. But with performance down and players looking for future infield/lineup priority, some believe a change of scenery could be mutual. A recent poll showed fans split 54-46 on whether Albies should be traded or kept.
The Braves Are at a Crossroads
If Anthopoulos sticks to his word, the Braves will ride out the storm and regroup in the offseason. But if one of their expiring contracts can fetch value — particularly Iglesias or Montero — don’t be surprised to see small moves aimed at bolstering 2026 and beyond.
It’s an unfamiliar position for Atlanta: not contending, not quite rebuilding, but not ready to punt either. Unless something drastic happens in the next two weeks, this year’s trade deadline is shaping up to be a rare moment of silence from one of baseball’s loudest franchises.
