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The Atlanta Braves' postseason run ended earlier than expected this week, getting swept by the San Diego Padres in the NL Wild Card Series. That means it's back to the drawing board as this organization looks ahead to the offseason.
The Braves have already decided they will exercise the 2025 options for two key players in Marcell Ozuna and Travis d'Arnaud, per Mark Bowman. Ozuna will make $16 million next season while D'Arnaud is owed $8 million.
Neither decision comes as much of a surprise. Ozuna was Atlanta's best hitter in 2024, batting .302 with 39 home runs and 104 RBI. He ranked third in the National League in batting average, second in long balls, and fourth in runs batted in. Ozuna strictly served as the Braves' DH in all 162 games. That will likely be the case again next year. Needless to say, the Braves would've been completely foolish to let Ozuna walk after he tore the cover off the baseball all season.
As for d'Arnaud, he's been with the Braves since 2020. The veteran split the catcher duties with Sean Murphy but emerged as the preferred option for Brian Snitker down the stretch. He played in 99 total contests, slashing .238 with 15 homers and 48 RBI. d'Arnaud is a mainstay behind the dish and a beloved figure in the Atlanta clubhouse. He'll get his fair share of playing time once again in '25 and knows the Braves starters extremely well.
Atlanta finished the regular season with an 89-73 record and barely snuck into the playoffs, needing at least one win on the final day of the campaign against the New York Mets in a doubleheader. They failed to produce versus San Diego however, getting shut out by Michael King in Game 1 before a 5-4 loss in Game 2.
Left-hander Max Fried is set to become a free agent this winter and there's a chance he signs elsewhere. Fried is due for a big payday and if he does leave, the Braves will need to try and replace him.
