The Braves’ offseason figures to be busy, and Ozzie Albies has surfaced as one of the bigger names to watch.
Atlanta went out in the NLDS, dropping three games to one against the Dodgers, and that setback could push the front office toward a broader retool around Ronald Acuna Jr., Matt Olson and Chris Sale. One idea floated by Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter is a move that would send Albies elsewhere.
Albies has been with the Braves for his entire 10-year career, and his résumé is already packed: 25.7 WAR, four All-Star nods and two Silver Slugger awards. He also helped Atlanta win the 2021 World Series and remains a fan favorite.
But the offensive profile has cooled. Reuter pointed to a “middling 88 OPS+ and .299 on-base percentage in 1,350 plate appearances over the last two years,” even though the power still showed up at times.
“The surface-level power production was there once again, but he has posted a middling 88 OPS+ and .299 on-base percentage in 1,350 plate appearances over the last two years, and the Braves could be ready to move on as part of a larger retooling,” Reuter wrote.
That’s the tension for Atlanta. Albies is only under contract for one more year at $7 million, thanks to the seven-year, $35 million deal he signed in 2019, and he won’t hit free agency until after the 2027 season. The Braves could simply be hoping for a bounceback from the 29-year-old, especially after he still delivered 22 homers and played all 162 regular-season games.
At the same time, the trade market could be complicated by alternatives. Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Brandon Lowe are both unrestricted free agents this winter, but each would cost Atlanta more against the payroll.
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