Thanks to a recent offensive surge after a lengthy cold spell, it appeared as though the Atlanta Braves were going to be able to trade Marcell Ozuna for a pretty nice return. Yes, he is a rental who is limited to DH, but there are not many bats worth a lick on the trade market at all and Ozuna was, until recently, a consistent MVP candidate despite his limitations that seemed like he was attracting real trade interest before the deadline.
However, as the hours leading up to the trade deadline have been ticking down, there has been precious little in the way of rumors or even whispers about a potential Ozuna trade. Some of that most certainly is because the Braves are an intensely private, close-to-the-vest organization under Alex Anthopoulos.
There apparently is also another reason things have be quiet around Ozuna. Apparently interest in his services has been lower than initially thought and, according to Braves insider Mark Bowman, there are a couple reasons for that.
The Braves have a little more than three more hours to find suitors for Ozuna and Iglesias. Ozuna's past legal issues and 10-5 might affect his market. But the greater obstacle is that as a true DH he has limited fits.
— Mark Bowman (@mlbbowman) July 31, 2025
Marcell Ozuna's past as well as his limitations are catching up with the Braves at the trade deadline
There was already going to be some amount of difficulty in trading Ozuna since he has the ability to veto any trade thanks to his 10-5 rights. He isn't going to approve a trade unless he is guaranteed everyday playing time and that could be a problem for a number of teams just looking for a moderate, short-term offensive upgrade. While it would be ideal if the Braves could shop him around to anyone who would take him, that isn't going to fly with Ozuna.
However, Bowman just pointed out that Ozuna's previous legal troubles could also be a red flag with some organizations. If you are looking to part with significant assets to acquire Ozuna, character issues are going to matter and it is fair to have real questions about the guy given his history. As Bowman accurately pointed out, the biggest hurdle is that you just can't play Ozuna in the field at all which places a pretty big limitation on lineup construction in the name of playing an aging slugger every day.
Odds are that Ozuna will find a new team and Raisel Iglesias is likely to go as well. Unfortunately, given how the market is playing out, the Braves may not get as much as they were hoping in return when the dust settles.