Fansided

Top 25 MLB free agents for 2019

By Joshua Sadlock

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros celebrates retiring the side during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - OCTOBER 15: Gerrit Cole #45 of the Houston Astros celebrates retiring the side during the sixth inning against the New York Yankees in game three of the American League Championship Series at Yankee Stadium on October 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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Mandatory Credit: Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS via Getty Images
Mandatory Credit: Christian Gooden/St. Louis Post-Dispatch/TNS via Getty Images /

11. Marcell Ozuna

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna was viewed as a potential candidate for a nine-figure contract in free agency after garnering MVP votes and winning the Gold Glove and Silver Slugger in 2017. Ozuna was coming off a season in which he hit .312/.376/.548 with 37 home runs and 124 RBI. As the Miami Marlins began their fire sale in earnest, the Cardinals swooped in two acquire Ozuna for his final two years before free agency.

The Cardinals paid a steep price to acquire Ozuna, trading away top prospect Sandy Alcantara who threw two complete-game shutouts this year and made the All-Star Game for the Marlins. Ozuna’s two seasons in St. Louis, however, can only be viewed as a disappointment. He hit .280/.325/.433 with 23 home runs and 88 RBI in 2018 and rebounded only slightly to hit .241/.328/.472 with 29 homers and 89 RBI in 130 games in 2019. Ozuna’s defense also fell off dramatically, to the point where he is rated a negative by most advanced metrics.

Ozuna will turn 29 in November, so he is unlikely to suffer the fate of some older free agents who have struggled to find offers in recent years. His value, though, is way down from its peak. If the Cardinals slap him with the qualifying offer, it may make sense for Ozuna to bet on himself and hope for a return to All-Star form. If he rebounds to hit close to 40 home runs with 100 RBI, Ozuna may be able to approach $100 million.

There’s reason to be hopeful that Ozuna can rediscover the swing that made him a two-time All-Star in Miami. He exploded to hit .429 with three doubles and two home runs in the Cardinals NLDS win over Atlanta. Ozuna can be a frustrating player, and he went cold and made a crucial error in the NLCS. His is one of the more interesting free agencies to watch in the league given his age and upside potential.

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