Going into the offseason, one of the few questions the Atlanta Braves had to make an immediate decision on was whether or not they would pick up the incredibly team friendly option on Ozzie Albies.
While this decision seemed like a no brainer going into the 2025 season, Albies' mediocre season coupled with the club's cost-cutting decisions from the previous offseason started to give some Braves fans some cause for concern.
Thankfully, however, the Braves decided to do the practical, sensible thing, and pick up the 28-year-old Albies' team option.
Ozzie Albies stays with the Braves, at least for now
The extension Albies signed with the Braves in 2019 has worked out very well for Atlanta. While Albies hasn't been a superstar, the second baseman has accumulated 16.4 fWAR since 2019 while being paid just $30.4 million.
2025 marked the final guaranteed year of Albies contract, but even since the switch-hitter signed the deal, it seemed like a given that his club options would be picked up, given that each year was only worth $7 million.
In the last two seasons, Albies has gone from an above-average, All-Star level player, to a slightly below-average hitter with below-average defense.
Still, there were signs that his offensive struggles in 2025 were likely due to lingering wrist pain from 2024, and since Albies had a $3 million buyout, it would seemed unlikely that the Braves could find a replacement at second base for cheaper than $4 million.
In a cruel twist of fate, Albies' season was prematurely ended at the end of September when he fractured his hamate bone on a swing, and once again, it was questionable whether the Braves would actually pick up the option of their longest tenured player. In the end, the Braves made the practical decision to keep Albies, but 2026 will suddenly become a critical season for the soon-to-be 29-year-old.
Ozzie's 2027 $7 million option does not include a buyout like his 2026 option did, meaning that if Albies repeats his 2025, or struggles even more, the Braves have nothing to lose by declining the option and have more to spend to replace him.
If Albies doesn't play well in 2026, it's also likely that the ridiculously team friendly deal he signed in 2019 would be the only long-term deal of his career, as it would be his third mediocre season in a row, and teams likely wouldn't be lining up to sign a player who had a cheap club option declined.
In other words, 2026 is essentially serving as an audition for Albies's final option year, as well his future contracts in MLB going forward.