While their playoff hopes are technically not completely dead yet, it is fair to say that the Atlanta Braves making a run good enough to get to the postseason this season are extremely long. At 42-53 in the first half, the Braves would have to go on an all-time run after the break to even get into the conversation and that likely means selling at the trade deadline would be the wisest choice.
Now, there are some out there that seem to think that the Braves should tear everything down and start over including some truly insane ideas to trade Ronald Acuña Jr. floating around. While Atlanta probably shouldn't be doing that, some measure of trading guys on expiring deals for prospects that could help in the future seems like a pretty smart play.
Based on the rumors reported by USA Today's MLB insider, it seems like the front office feels the same way as the Braves are already making guys like Marcell Ozuna and Raisel Iglesias available in early trade talks.
Braves already appear to be moving towards a trade deadline sell-off according to Bob Nightengale
While it certainly isn't fun to think about, the sad reality is that Atlanta should go for a bit of a reset instead of trying to force a chance at the playoffs this season. Even if they went out and made two monster trades to add to their roster, the likelihood that they would make enough of a difference to make a run is near zero.
Moving guys like Ozuna and Iglesias make the most sense. They are both making real money in 2025 which could give the Braves a chance to reset their luxury tax penalties going into the offseason depending on exactly how much money they end up saving. Both players also have track records that could be appealing to contenders looking for real impact players in what appears to be a very shallow market.
In an ideal world in terms of trade returns, both Ozuna and Iglesias would have had better seasons to this point. However, the Braves probably wouldn't be in this position if that were true. Still, teams may end up being a little wary of Ozuna's hip injury and Iglesias falling off a cliff at the start of the season.
More and more, Braves fans need to start accepting that Atlanta isn't going anywhere this year. That doesn't mean they need to go into a rebuilt, but moving these guys that aren't in the future plans anyways may be a necessary culling.