MLB Rumors: Astros trade bait, Ozuna’s future, Showalter in trouble?
By Mark Powell
MLB Rumors: Marcell Ozuna is no longer on the outs with the Braves
Marcell Ozuna’s power is officially back on after a years-long outage. Ozuna struggled in both 2021 and 2022, not to mention his off-field grievances. Frankly, his contract was an albatross on an otherwise spotless Alex Anthopoulos resume in Atlanta.
If the Braves could have traded Ozuna by now, they likely would have. In fact, there’s an argument to be made that they still should, especially while his value is high this offseason. The 2023-24 free agent market is lacking with power bats.
However, as Mark Bowman notes, Ozuna’s turnaround is worth nothing.
"“It seemed like Ozuna’s days in Atlanta were dwindling, especially when he exited April hitting .085 with a .397 OPS. He struggled on the field and had multiple off-the-field issues the previous two seasons. So, it seemed the Braves would be willing to eat the approximate $37 million left on his contract. But they ultimately decided not to, and entering Wednesday, Ozuna was hitting .275 with 22 homers and an .874 OPS since May 2. At the same time, he has seemingly been a positive influence within the clubhouse.”"
On a Braves roster that otherwise has affordable, long-term deals, Ozuna’s contract is less of an issue. Anthopoulos has done a tremendous job building this squad, and he can be a free agent after the 2024 season. At that point, it’s fair to wonder if Ozuna will be in the team’s long-term plans.
For now, though, it seems Ozuna isn’t going anywhere.