Braves: 3 possible solutions to Marcell Ozuna saga
By John Buhler
There are only three ways the Marcell Ozuna run with the Atlanta Braves turns out in the end.
With Marcell Ozuna being the elephant in the clubhouse for the Atlanta Braves, there are only three ways for this experiment gone wrong to end for the defending World Series champions.
The shame in it all is the Braves are one of six teams who can realistically win the Fall Classic this postseason. They may not catch the New York Mets in the NL East, but Atlanta is going to be an incredibly tough out in the playoffs. While there is very little chance Ozuna will have a shot at redemption in October, let’s discuss what the endgame is here for persona non grata in Atlanta.
This ends in only three ways: Do the Braves want to bargain, live in denial or accept the inevitable?
Atlanta Braves: 3 ways the delightful Marcell Ozuna experience comes to an end
3. Bargaining: Hope for an out in his deal or trade him elsewhere with prospects
It was debatable when it happened. Although it took a minute for Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos to give Ozuna a new contract in February 2021, we should have not been as beholden to such a small sample size the year prior. Hindsight is 20/20, but Ozuna’s four-year, $65 million contract is nothing short of an albatross for the Braves, even two seasons into it…
Ozuna turns 32 years old in November, and is under contract with the Braves through his age-33 season in 2024. There is a club option with a $1 million buyout in 2025. Unless there is something baked into his contract where Atlanta can somehow get out of it, he is on the books for the Braves for the next two years at $16 million a pop. Expect for the MLBPA to fight tooth and nail for him…
What are the Braves to do? They can bargain with any MLB team that will hear them out. Atlanta may have a depleted farm system, but just look at their three star rookies in Vaughn Grissom, Michael Harris II and Spencer Strider and don’t try to tell me other Braves farmhands can’t have success elsewhere. Just look at Shea Langeliers in Oakland, as well as Drew Waters in Kansas City.
If the Braves want to pull off a glorified salary dump, the farm system will surely pay a price for it.