The 2025 trade deadline is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable in recent Atlanta Braves memory. You’d think after years of playoff appearances, an MVP, and a GM known for calculated risks, we’d have some clue what’s coming.
But here we are, late June, and not even the insiders can crack the code of what Alex Anthopoulos is cooking — or if he’s cooking anything at all.
Mixed Signals from Atlanta’s Front Office
Let’s start with what we do know. Anthopoulos went on record — bold and unfiltered — saying the Braves won’t be sellers. Sounds definitive, right? Well, maybe not.
Because while the GM was laying down that hard line, ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel and Jeff Passan were out here floating the possibility that Marcell Ozuna, one of Atlanta’s few bright spots this season, could be on the move. Now, that’s some serious mixed messaging.
And then you’ve got Bob Nightengale dropping a whole article breaking down buyers and sellers ahead of the trade deadline and not even whispering the word “Braves.” This tells you one of two things: either Atlanta’s front office has gone full stealth mode, or even veteran insiders have given up trying to read this team.
A Roster Full of Questions
On paper, the Braves are still a playoff-caliber club. Ronald Acuña Jr. is back doing MVP things. Rookie Drake Baldwin is catching fire — possibly headed for some serious hardware. Spencer Strider’s coming around. And Jurickson Profar’s set to rejoin the lineup. All good signs, right?
The catch is that the core that’s supposed to carry this team — Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, and Michael Harris II — is ice cold. Like, career-worst numbers cold. Then there’s Chris Sale back on the IL again.
After finally dropping a game to the Mets, the Braves are sitting at 37-42. Atlanta is not exactly knocking on the playoff door — more like peeking through the keyhole from across the street.
Where Does That Leave the Braves?
So what’s the move here? Buy? Sell? Stand pat? Your guess is as good as Nightengale’s, apparently. But if Atlanta’s front office isn’t saying much, it might be because they’re still figuring it out themselves. The deadline is just over a month away, and this team could still go on a tear — or totally unravel. Either way, it’s going to be a wild ride.
