Braves predicted to ditch 3-time All-Star in deadline trade to Mariners

A catastrophic season for the Atlanta Braves is leading to a highly intriguing trade deadline.

No one would have forecasted a deadline fire sale from the Braves before the season. But now that they're sitting at 42-53, 9 1/2 games out of a potential playoff berth, it seems as though that's the consensus expectation.

Even worse, the Braves don't have many exciting pieces to trade if they only let go of expiring veterans. That means it will be paramount to get decent returns for those few poker chips.

Designated hitter Marcell Ozuna is a good bat for a contending team to have in their lineup, but few teams want to commit themselves to a full-time DH with less than superstar numbers. Will the Braves find a taker for Ozuna?

On Wednesday's episode of the "Talkin' Baseball" podcast, ex-major leaguer Trevor Plouffe predicted that Ozuna would be shipped to a team that's just desperate for offense--the Seattle Mariners.

"Every team needs bats," Plouffe said. "I feel like Seattle's the (best) fit for him. They need a right-handed bat."

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The Mariners DH's have a combined .744 OPS this season, and a lot of that production is due to Major League Baseball home run leader Cal Raleigh getting some days off from catching.

Inserting Ozuna's bat, though his OPS is just marginally better at .762, could greatly lengthen Seattle's lineup.

Still, the Braves shouldn't hope for a massive return if they trade the 34-year-old, even though he's a three-time All-Star. Ozuna picked a bad year to suffer a long slump, but the same could be said for most of Atlanta's players.

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