Braves: 3 moves they must make before Opening Day
By John Buhler
1. Are you going to re-sign Marcell Ozuna or not?
It doesn’t seem like it anymore, but the Braves need to give their fanbase some clarity: Are they bringing back Marcell Ozuna or not? If he is too pricey to stick with the Braves for a second contract, we get it. Then again, how sure are we that the Braves can replace Ozuna as marvelously as he did Josh Donaldson last year? Not doing so means the Braves are high on Austin Riley.
In his first full big league season, Riley showed a ton of promise at the hot corner. His glove work got better with every hot shot to the third base bag. While the offensive game remains somewhat of a work in progress, you cannot deny the power bat he has from the right side of the plate. If Atlanta thinks he can be their version of Donaldson or Scott Rolen, then great for the Braves.
However, Ozuna was such an important part of the Mix It Up Braves. With his neon sleeve and his proclivity for taking imaginary selfies, he consistently lit a spark within his teammates to go out and perform at a high level. It was never “The Braves Way,” but his demeanor and easygoing personality was a breathe of fresh air for a franchise that was stuck in a rut and had gotten stuffy.
Overall, Atlanta will have to make a move to counterbalance potentially losing Ozuna in free agency. He may want a multi-year contract above what Atlanta is willing to pay, but there is a price to pay for premium talent. Ozuna did lead the National League in home runs and runs batted in a season ago. While it was a COVID year, Ozuna has absolutely earned a bump in pay for 2021.
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Ultimately, the Braves do not have to do much to remain one of the best teams in baseball. This is a team that has won the NL East the last three seasons. They will be the favorite to do so for the fourth time in a row in 2021. However, there are many teams who could win the National League besides Atlanta this year. Anything short of a World Series trip will be seen as a disappointment.
Will the Braves make any more significant moves ahead of 2021 MLB Opening Day?