MLB Trade Rumors: Mariners trying to trade for Marcell Ozuna

The Seattle Mariners retooling continues as the Mariners are currently working with the Miami Marlins to trade for Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna.

The Seattle Mariners have been extremely aggressive on the trade market so far this offseason. New general manager Jerry DiPoto is committed to retooling their team in hopes of contending in not just 2016, but the future as well. Their next move could be trading for Miami Marlins outfielder Marcell Ozuna.

The Mariners need to upgrade their outfield so their pursuit of Marcell Ozuna certainly makes sense. Ozuna would give the Mariners a talented outfielder who could benefit greatly from a change in scenery. The Marlins have been pretty adamant that they don’t want him anymore. The Mariners are likely willing to put aside whatever character concerns there might be about Ozuna and let him play.

Ozuna would likely play in either center field or left field for the Mariners. They have that flexibility thanks to re-signing Franklin Gutierrez. The Mariners could likely acquire Ozuna for a relatively small package because he is coming off a rough 2015 season after a promising 2014 season. It’s also not a secret that Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria does not want Ozuna around.

Ozuna’s greatest asset is his power. It remains to be seen if his power would play well at Safeco Field, but it’s worth noting that Nelson Cruz was able to put up impressive power numbers at Safeco Field. It’s hard to hit home runs at Safeco Field but it certainly is not impossible. Ozuna hit 23 home runs and had 26 doubles in 2014. He had 27 doubles in 2015. His gap power could play well at Safeco even if his home run power does not.

Marcell Ozuna did a good job cutting down on his strikeouts last season. He had 164 strikeouts in 565 plate appearances last season. That’s 26.8% of the time. He lowered that number down to 22.3% in 2015 with 110 strikeouts in 459 at-bats.