MLB insider proposed intriguing trade partner for Braves if they move Ozzie Albies

ByEric Cole|
New York Yankees v Atlanta Braves
New York Yankees v Atlanta Braves | Kevin C. Cox/GettyImages

There has been no shortage of wild trade rumors surrounding the Atlanta Braves lately. Some of them have been blatantly absurd such as the weird push for a Ronald Acuña Jr. trade, while others have been more reasonable including the trade chatter around Marcell Ozuna. However, one development on the trade market that fans couldn't have expected was the potential availability of Ozzie Albies.

The odds the Albies is actually traded remain low. The Braves would be selling low on him and given how cheap his team options are and his previous track record of performance, moving Albies before the trade deadline may be unwise. For the moment, Atlanta is focused on pending free agents when thinking about the deadline and that remains the most likely outcome.

However, it is still theoretically possible that Atlanta receives an offer on Albies especially with his recent surge that could be persuasive. According to The Athletic's Jim Bowden, one team that the Braves could match up with on an Albies trade is the Houston Astros which could be interesting.

If the Braves decide to trade Ozzie Albies, keep an eye on the Astros

Now, there are some problems with the Astros as a trade partner for Albies beyond Atlanta not looking to trade guys with team control beyond 2025. The Braves are only going to even entertain the idea if someone is willing to pay up for Albies and the Astros' farm system leaves something to be desired at the moment. Unless Houston is willing to put shortstop prospect Brice Matthews in the deal, finding an actual package Atlanta would accept may be tough.

However, there are some reasons to think that the Astros may be an ideal scenario for an Albies trade. Alex Anthopoulos and Dana Brown know each other very well from Brown's time as the Braves' scouting director which could help get a deal done. Houston also could really, really use a second baseman that can hit left-handed and Albies obviously fits the bill without coming with a prohibitive salary. Assuming Houston thinks that they can get Albies going again, they could be motivated enough to make a deal possible.

The more likely option when it comes to an Albies trade is that the Braves wait until the offseason to have that conversation. That could bring more bidders into the fray and allow Albies to rebuild his value a bit. There is also a really good chance that the Braves just keep Albies if he starts playing well again as he is an absolute bargain the vast majority of the time. Still, there is a chance that we could see a surprise Albies trade and expect the Astros to be in the middle of the bidding if it happens.

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