The Atlanta Braves are in the middle of a messy crossroads — a team stuck between its recent past as a perennial contender and its present reality as one of baseball’s biggest letdowns.
At nine games under .500 and fresh off a seven-game losing streak, Atlanta should be staring down the barrel of a deadline sell-off. But instead, whispers from the front office are painting a much different picture: the Braves might still buy.
Braves Are Still Buyers For Now
According to Jon Heyman of The New York Post, the Braves aren’t quite ready to hit the eject button. Despite their standing in the cellar of the Wild Card race, they’re reportedly in the market for help at two very specific positions: outfield and shortstop.
Both targets make sense — and both highlight how shaky this roster has become outside Ronald Acuña Jr.
Left field, for one, has been a mess. Jurickson Profar is suspended for PEDs and won’t be eligible for postseason play even if Atlanta somehow claws back into contention.
Alex Verdugo has continued his downward spiral with a .247/.301/.312 slash line. These are numbers that somehow look worse than his disappointing stint in New York. And Eli White? He’s cratered since May 1, hitting a bleak .202/.231/.288 in that stretch.
And then there’s center field. Once considered a breakout cornerstone, Michael Harris II has completely lost the thread at the plate. His .233/.261/.346 line drags down an outfield that has otherwise relied almost entirely on Acuña to create offense. Harris’ defense and speed are still elite, but that only goes so far when the rest of the outfield is either injured, ineffective, or both.
Shortstop: A Vacuum at the Plate
Shortstop isn’t looking much better. Orlando Arcia is gone, and Nick Allen — while an excellent defender — has been nearly invisible offensively. His .234/.309/.269 line includes zero home runs. While that glove might’ve been enough if the rest of the lineup was clicking, right now, it just adds to a growing list of underperforming bats.
The Braves’ offensive output in June has been outright miserable: a .216/.296/.360 team line that has turned every game into a grind. This team is starving for upgrades with multiple holes and too much being asked of Acuña.
A Rotation Leak and a Bullpen Problem
And it’s not just the lineup. The Braves bullpen has had some brutal meltdowns, and with AJ Smith-Shawver done for the year after Tommy John surgery, rotation depth is now another red flag. Sure, the team looks like a buyer on paper, but in reality? They’re closer to a teardown than they want to admit.
That’s the tension: the Braves have a top-10 payroll, seven straight playoff appearances, and a fan base expecting October baseball. They don’t want to quit — but if the record doesn’t improve soon, they might not have a choice.
Ozuna, Sale, and a Deadline Pivot?
If things don’t turn around fast, the Braves may pivot hard. DH Marcell Ozuna is an obvious trade chip as an impending free agent. He’s still producing in the heart of the order and could fetch bullpen help or near-MLB-ready prospects. But there’s a more dramatic possibility, too — Chris Sale.
Sale is having another standout year and is under team control for 2026. But if the Braves fall even further out of the race, shopping Sale could unlock a high-impact return and send a message that Atlanta is eyeing 2026, not just trying to patch 2025.
Braves Have Six Weeks to Decide
Ultimately, the next six weeks will determine everything. The Braves aren’t ready to sell — not yet. But if they limp into late July and are still stuck in mediocrity, the deadline could flip from reinforcement mission to full-on retool.
Given the trend, the Braves front office had better start prepping for both scripts because they might need to pivot quickly.
