The Atlanta Braves are among the most disappointing teams in baseball this season. At 31-39, they are already 13 out of first place in the National League East. With the team also near the bottom of the wild card standings, many baseball insiders believe that the Braves will be clear sellers at the trade deadline. However, that may not be the case according to a new report, and in fact the opposite may be true.
Jon Heyman Expects Braves to Buy Instead of Selling Assets
Top MLB insider Jon Heyman spoke to Chicago’s 670 The Score and said that while the chances of the Braves trading ace Chris Sale are less than zero, the team is approaching the deadline with the intention of being buyers instead of sellers. Heyman also mentioned that “more than likely, we aren’t gonna see an ace traded.”
The Braves attempting to buy rather than sell is a sign that President of Baseball Operations Alex Anthopoulos still believes the team can make the playoffs, given the talent on the roster. The Braves have made the playoffs seven straight years, including winning the World Series in 2021.
The team still has a lot of its core pieces from those playoff teams around, but the offense has especially been disappointing this season. The Braves are trending towards a bottom 10 offense in the league, as many of their top hitters are having average seasons.
The problems started almost instantly when the team signed Jurickson Profar to a three-year deal in the off-season to be the everyday left fielder, only for him to be suspended for 80 games after testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs.
Second baseman Ozzie Albies and center fielder Michael Harris II are having poor seasons. All-Star catcher Sean Murphy is on the verge of losing his job to rookie Drake Baldwin. However, Ronald Acuna Jr. has returned from the injured list after tearing his ACL and remains one of the most dynamic players in the sport with a 1.179 OPS since being activated, along with making some great defensive plays.
The only flaw Ronald Acuña Jr.’s has since returning has been his strikeout rate.
In his last four games, he hasn’t struck out once.
He’s slashing .688/.722/1.125 in those four gamespic.twitter.com/HLrMeUv0sX
— Min Sub (Mitchell) (@MinSub4) June 15, 2025
If the Braves do sell, they could receive significant offers for Sale, even with him possibly being a free agent at the end of the season, depending on an $18 million club option. Sale continues to be one of the most dominant arms in the sport with a 2.79 ERA and 107 strikeouts in 80 innings pitched.
Chris Sale deserves to play on a better team 😭#FreeSale #BravesCountry pic.twitter.com/0sJ1xwMJ3l
— Eric Yu (@Eric35_Yu) June 10, 2025
The Braves’ season is on the brink, with 10 of their next 13 games against the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. Despite long odds, the team appears to be trying to make a run at a Wild Card berth this summer.