If Ozzie Albies can't fix it, where might the Braves go?

One of the main question surrounding Braves free agency this winter is: What will they do with Ozzie Albies?

Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies is highly regarded as a fan favorite in Atlanta due to his big smile and personality.

However, the veteran switch-hitter has not produced at the rate he once did, and it does not seem to be getting any better. In 2025, he is slashing just .226/.298/.328. His OPS+ is just 77, a career worst by 18 points.

But, there’s more to it. In July of 2024, Albies broke his left wrist while trying to receive a throw down to second on a stolen base attempt. This injury not only kept him out until late September, but even when he did return, he was limited to strictly hitting right-handed. The concern is not just about Ozzie’s production, but also about Ozzie’s wrist. Has it recovered? If it hasn't, will it ever?

With just thirty-seven games left to play, we have to start asking the question: Will Atlanta have a new second baseman in 2026?

What We Do Know

Ozzie Albies is making $7M dollars this year and has a club option for 2026 for $7M (and another for 2027, for the same amount). You look at this and think it is relatively cheap, even with the big production drop-off, and I would have to agree.

For example, let’s compare Ozzie to a similar second baseman in production: Blue Jays second baseman Andres Gimenez. Putting up a slash line of .223/.306/.321, he’s slated to make over $15M dollars in 2026. Even for someone with much better defense than Ozzie (+6 Fielding Run Value, 88th percentile in baseball), that is still a much worse contract than Ozzie’s.

So when we consider something like this, the Ozzie deal starts to look more pleasing. Compounding that is the fact that the buyout is $4M on its own, so Atlanta would only save $3M if it chooses to move on from Albies this winter. However, are there more pleasing options available, whether it be free agency, the trade market, or right here in the Atlanta Braves farm system?

Internal Options

Nacho Alvarez Jr.. You have seen me be very pro-Nacho Alvarez recently, and that isn’t going to change too much here.

The twenty-two-year-old was drafted by the Braves in the fifth round of the 2022 MLB Draft. Since being drafted, he has shot his way through the Braves’ farm system, making his MLB debut in 2024 to replace Albies after the aforementioned wrist injury.

However, in 2025, Alvarez has twice replaced an injured Austin Riley at third base. While the promotion is just temporary, he has played a very good third base, posting a 1 OAA, while only committing one error in seventy-plus attempts. We know he is comfortable at third base, having played the position collegiately, and it shows on the field. (It’s worth noting that between callups, Atlanta used Alvarez at second base in Triple-A Gwinnett.)

Offensively, it may still be too early to tell at the big league level. As of August 18th, Nacho is slashing .229/.316/.300. He seems to be growing more comfortable by the day, and to say he’s making adjustments is fair. He recently had a three-hit game, and as this is being written, an RBI in three straight.

The organization will likely continue to develop Alvarez as a primary second-baseman going forward, and this will be a telling offseason for how the Braves feel about him as an everyday player.

The Free Agent Market

I would like to think this is the least likely option, given Alex Anthopolous’ past moves (and Ozzie’s contract situation)…and also because the second baseman FA market next year doesn’t seem to look too impressive.

However, there are two intriguing names on the free agent market that I want to take a closer look at.

First, Gleyber Torres. Torres is currently on a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers after spending the first seven years of his career with the New York Yankees. After being an All-Star in his freshman and sophomore campaigns, the twenty-eight-year-old earned his first career start in the Midsummer Classic. As of August 19, Torres is slashing .259/.358/.399 with 13 homers and an OPS+ of 110, so his offensive production is 10% above league average. The underlying numbers also show that the numbers are real and sustainable.

Defensively, however, there may be a problem. While the offensive underlying numbers look good, the defensive numbers and running numbers don’t. The Outs Above Average is -1, and Arm Strength is in the bottom 10th percentile. The sprint speed is also in the bottom quartile, at 26.7 ft/second. So defensively, he’s Ozzie Albies 2.0.

Spotrac currently has Torres projected at a salary of $13.7M per year; however, this commonly ends up being a lower-end number, as free agency isn’t always rational. The real question is: will he stay in the Braves’ budget if they let Ozzie walk?

Second, Willi Castro. Castro spent the first half of the year with the Minnesota Twins, but was dealt to the Chicago Cubs in their deadline fire sale. A true super utility guy, he has played 242.2 innings at second base and 442.2 innings in the outfield. He has also added a minimal amount of innings at FIVE other positions, making that seven positions on the year.¹

Outside of that flexibility and being a switch-hitter, there isn’t a ton that catches your attention. Offensively, he serves as a contact, bottom-of-the-order guy who has the ability to run. In 2025, he is hitting .234 with ten homers in 337 ABs. Defensively, the OAA is -7, but you have to think that improves if Atlanta works with him as a primary second baseman.

Spotrac is projecting a 3yr/$11M dollar contract for Castro, which may be in Atlanta’s range. He is definitely someone to keep an eye on, strictly based on his ability to play anywhere.

The Trading Block

First, let’s address the recent rumors of Ketel Marte. I just can’t see a world where he gets dealt, even with the Diamondbacks trying to cut payroll. Even more so, I can’t see a world where the Braves get it done. I’m assuming it would take top prospect Cam Caminiti and more, probably significantly more.

So now that that’s out of the way, let’s touch on another name that has been mentioned in possible trades: Brandon Lowe. This feels like an Alex Anthopoulos-type move.

A left-handed hitter, Lowe is hitting .273 with 24 bombs and was named to his second career All-Star Game this summer. While it’s his third consecutive season with more than 20 homers, it’s the first time that he’s had a batting average over .250 in a full-length season (so excluding 2020) since 2019, his second season in the majors.

His OAA is negative and the arm strength is poor - he’s similar to Ozzie in that regard. However, if he hits 20+ homers, you can live with the defensive questions.

Additionally, Tampa Bay is going to be determined to move him - his 2026 option is for $11.5M, which would be one of the three largest contract on a team that’s running a payroll under $100M and has just $35M on the books for next season(barring Ha-Seong Kim’s likely acceptance of his $16M player option for 2026).

To Be Determined

A name that I can’t shake is Jorge Polanco and you may ask why we have this as TBD.

The answer is his contract situation. Polanco is on a one-year $7.75M deal with a mutual option. However, this option converts to a $6M dollar player option with 450 plate appearances and an $8M dollar player option with 550. He currently has 395 PA’s with thirty-six games left to play. If he averages four PAs over the rest of the season, that puts him at 539, so it's an interesting development.

Currently, Polanco is hitting .245 with 18 homers. Good for a .750 OPS with his OPS against righties being .142 points higher (.776) than against lefties (.634). Defensively, he is right there with the rest of the previously mentioned guys: -2 OAA and below-average arm strength.

If Polanco grabs the extra $2M dollars, I’d like to think he stays. However, if he doesn’t get to 550 PA’s, I think he may test the waters. He would be highly sought after and feels like a name AA could sneak in and grab on a 3 year/$22M deal.

So now what?

The more time that passes, the more I think Ozzie’s option is picked up. It doesn’t make a ton of sense to let him walk to save just $3M dollars. The Braves will have a similar decision to make for 2027, with the club option and buyout amounts being similar.

If the team does decide to move on, I really like the Brandon Lowe idea. His power invokes memories of Silver Slugger Ozzie Albies of a few years prior, and he’s reportedly a great clubhouse guy who has had success in the bigs.

Some of these seem like long shots while others seem doable. With all of that being said, the last few weeks of Albies’ season should show us a lot.

1. 44G at 2B, 38G in LF, 33 G in RF, 18G at 3B, 5G at SS, and 3G in CF. Oh, and he also pitched once.