The Atlanta Braves‘ trade deadline plans are still unclear at this moment. They are still in third place in the National League East, but are playing better as of late, have beaten the New York Mets in four straight, and are creeping back up to the .500 mark.
In this three-player trade idea, the Braves would move on from one of their premier trade chips, but also gain a major improvement in the outfield.
Will Marcell Ozuna Be Traded?
Three-time All-Star Marcell Ozuna is on an expiring contract and may be the number one trade chip the Atlanta Braves have. While President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos has made it clear the Braves are not selling, this deal is a mix of both selling and buying.
In an “intriguing trade candidate” piece by MLB.com, Marcell Ozuna is the first player named. Here is the analysis on why he could be traded:
“Anthopoulos has made it clear that controllable assets like Sale, who has a 2026 club option, aren’t going anywhere. But if he’s forced to reassess the club’s Deadline approach, we could see Atlanta trade away its pending free agents. Ozuna is by far the best player on that short list, which also includes relievers Raisel Iglesias and Rafael Montero and outfielder Alex Verdugo. While Ozuna’s power numbers have dropped off in 2025, he’s still reaching base at a .379 clip. He’s also not far removed from producing 79 homers and a .552 slugging percentage across 2023-24, making him an appealing middle-of-the-order bat for contending teams in need of offensive reinforcements.”
While yes, Ozuna’s power is slightly down, he has shown the ability multiple times to hit close to 40 home runs in a season. Being moved to the Boston Red Sox and playing at Fenway Park would certainly aid in those power numbers.
Would the Red Sox trade Jarren Duran?
There have been rumblings of many teams being interested in Boston Red Sox star outfielder Jarren Duran. In this proposal, the Atlanta Braves send over Marcell Ozuna and outfielder Michael Harris II in return for Duran. The Red Sox are another team deciding whether or not they will buy or sell at the deadline.
Harris II has been a below-average offensive player for Atlanta, which really makes this deal more of a straight-up Ozuna for Duran swap, but Harris II could see some playing time replacing Duran in the outfield.
Duran would be an obvious offensive improvement for the Braves, who could certainly use some more offensive production in the outfield to pair with Ronald Acuña Jr. if they want to make a playoff push. Duran is hitting .257 this season, but has 32 extra-base hits in 79 games, and is an everyday player.
This is the last year of team control for Ozuna, who will hit the free agent market after this season. This trade idea seems logical for both sides, who have shown the ability to make wholesale changes at this time of year. For Boston, they just let go of franchise star Rafael Devers. For the Braves, they made several pivotal moves back in 2021, which saw the team capture a World Series title.
Braves-Red Sox Three-Player Trade Idea Sends Three-Time All-Star to Boston