All MLB insiders appear to be in agreement — a rarity this time of year — that the Braves will not be listening to offers on their core pieces at this year’s trade deadline. However, Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports is reporting that Alex Anthopoulos will be more open to moving some of his former All-Stars this upcoming offseason. 

“Atlanta is expected to listen to trade offers for second baseman Ozzie Albies, center fielder Michael Harris and catcher Sean Murphy, but not until this winter. They are letting teams know that DH Marcell Ozuna, closer Raisel Iglesias and reliever Pierce Johnson are all available. Ozuna, who has 10-and-5 rights, can veto any trade.”

It still feels quite foolish that the Braves won’t at least listen to offers ahead of the trade deadline. This very well could be the best time to sell, given there are very few teams selling that have anything worth offering, and there will be a ton of desperate buying teams hoping to make a push towards the postseason. It’s very possible a king’s ransom could come across Anthopoulos’ desk for a player like Sean Murphy, who has been red hot over the last several weeks.

With that being said, it’s also understandable. The Braves shouldn’t be willing to sell low on guys like Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies. Their respective values quite literally could not be any lower. Atlanta is much better off seeing if they can rebound in the second half and then re-evaluate their situation in the offseason.

Additionally, trading Sean Murphy also comes with quite a bit of risk. Drake Baldwin has been unbelievable as a rookie. He looks every bit like a star in the making. But if recent history has taught Anthopoulos anything, it’s that sample size matters. It wasn’t long ago that Michael Harris II was doing the same thing for the Braves on his way to NL Rookie of the Year.

The Braves also want to see what Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin can do while splitting duties between catcher and DH. Both have been utilized in the lineup every night over the last week or so, and the results have been very fruitful for Atlanta’s offense. It’s possible there’s a path forward with both on the roster, something they’ll continue to test out over the second half of the season.

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