Projecting where Marcell Ozuna and the 10 best MLB waivers candidates will eventually sign

The MLB trade deadline has come and gone, with plenty of marquee names joining new teams for the stretch run. From Tarik Skubal and the Dodgers to Adley Rutschman and the Red Sox, there was no shortage of needle-movers before the buzzer on Aug. 3.

Next up: waivers. Plenty of veterans who weren't traded at the deadline will end up on the chopping block as teams hope to shed salary or simply open up roster space. These 10 players could end up on the move:

DH Marcell Ozuna

Predicted landing spot: San Diego Padres

Marcell Ozuna arrived in Pittsburgh last winter as a "great value signing" and leaves as public enemy No. 1. It just has not been a productive season at the plate for the burly right-hander, with a .612 OPS and 69 wRC+ to complement eight home runs. Some of that is the ballpark, perhaps, but in reality, Ozuna's power has completely fallen off a cliff. He can still yank one over the wall on occasion, but the 35-year-old is not driving the ball with sky-high exit velos like he once did in Atlanta. The constant strikeouts do not help his cause.

Older DHs with Ozuna's current metrics are not exactly in high demand, but the Padres could sniff around given their need for more slug and Ozuna's long, decorated track record. San Diego is right back in the postseason hunt after a torrid couple of weeks, so any chance to improve on the cheap is something AJ Preller and their endlessly aggressive front office will consider.

DH/3B Eugenio Suárez

Predicted landing spot: Arizona Diamondbacks

Eugenio Suárez was Cincinnati's Kyle Schwarber backup plan last winter. It has backfired spectacularly. We've always known Suárez to run extremely hot and cold, with unwieldy strikeout numbers buoyed by massive power. He has 14 homers on the year, but the pop ain't what it once was. He can still play some third base, but at 35, Suárez bleeds outs in the field. He's better off as a full-time DH, if there's an appetite for such an arrangement.

The Diamondbacks can make space for a Suárez trial run before the playoffs, and he memorably hit 36 home runs with Arizona prior to the 2025 trade deadline — perhaps the greatest half-season of his career. A change of scenery could help, especially one where Suárez has succeeded so recently and so magnificently.

DH Jorge Soler

Predicted landing spot: Atlanta Braves

Jorge Soler is another older DH who's just not producing at the plate this season. He got up to 12 homers and 49 RBI in regular at-bats for the Angels, but his .664 OPS and 85 wRC+ signal a below-average hitter. Soler is only on the field to be an above-average hitter. A former All-Star and one of his generation's purest power threats, Soler has the pedigree and league-wide respect to find a new home. He can still hit the ball hard, but Soler finds himself swinging at air a lot nowadays. His 32.7 percent strikeout rate is a career worst.

The Braves are the obvious landing spot: the right combo of need and familiarity. Soler won World Series MVP with Atlanta back in 2021, and briefly caught on with the Braves again in 2024. He knows the ballpark, the clubhouse and a lot of his potential teammates. Once Ronald Acuña is ready to jump back into right field, the DH spot should open up and the Braves could use another right-handed bopper, if Soler is up to the task.

OF Luis Robert Jr.

Predicted landing spot: Cleveland Guardians

The Mets' Luis Robert Jr. trade was ambitious and ultimately unsuccessful. The change-of-scenery resurrection New York hoped for has not panned out, with Robert still struggling to hit left-handed pitching. A former Gold Glover in center field, there was a time when Robert wouldn't even need to hit to provide value. That is not the case now, as his defense has fallen off considerably.

If there is a team that can help Robert return to form, it might be the Guardians. Cleveland already added a righty outfield bat at the deadline in Jo Adell, but the Guards can't really add too much power. Robert won't find a better coaching and developmental staff to work under. Moreover, Cleveland can afford to take the swing. Why does Rhys Hoskins still have a roster spot?

DH/OF Rob Refsnyder

Predicted landing spot: Boston Red Sox

Rob Refsnyder is another "value signing" from last offseason that has aged like exposed milk on a summer day. Refsnyder's appeal was very simple: he absolutely crushes left-handed pitching. Or so we thought. Boston got plenty of mileage out of the Refsnyder platoon a year ago, when he posted a .959 OPS against southpaws. Well, he has a .506 OPS against southpaws in Seattle. Whether it's a weird Mariners curse or something more deeply emblematic about the 35-year-old's career arc, Refsnyder's value has reached an all-time low.

There could be teams willing to throw a dart to see if Refsnyder can rediscover his platoon powers down the stretch. Why not Boston, where he spent the very best years of his career? The Red Sox added both Jahmai Jones and Eli White as outfielders at the deadline. White probably sticks for his defense, but Jones is enough of a nonfactor to eventually open up a spot — or at least stash Refsnyder in Triple-A in case the need arises.

INF Jeff McNeil

Predicted landing spot: Texas Rangers

Jeff McNeil has really struggled to generate much of any value at the plate this season, but the 34-year-old second baseman is still a refined contact-hitter who does not strike out and who consistently puts the ball in play. He's due for better BABIP luck down the stretch. He's hovering around replacement level in terms of impact this season. There will be teams interested if the A's waive him to create room for youth on the roster.

Texas feels like a logical next destination. The Rangers sold at the deadline, but that does not mean their postseason aspirations are completely dead. Especially since Jacob deGrom invoked his no-trade clause. It's not a crazy bet to think McNeil can outproduce Nicky Lopez down the stretch.

LHP Matt Strahm

Predicted landing spot: Washington Nationals

The Nationals were sellers at the deadline, but there's still a path to the Wild Card round with so much power concentrated at the top of their lineup. If there's an area of need for Washington, it's the bullpen, which has struggled at historic levels all season. Matt Strahm was straight up unplayable for the Royals, with a 7.32 ERA and 1.49 WHIP in 35.2 innings. That said, he put up a 2.74 ERA in 2025 and was an All-Star in 2024, when he posted a career-best 1.87 ERA with the Phillies.

Washington is familiar with Strahm as a former division rival and could roll the dice on him turning the corner in a new, more competitive environment. He is giving up far too many home runs this season, but his 4.19 xERA means better days lie ahead, even if Strahm's days as a high-leverage arm are over and done with.

RHP Michael Lorenzen

Predicted landing spot: Philadelphia Phillies

The Phillies shockingly ignored their rotation at the deadline, moving forward with Aaron Nola and Andrew Painter behind their trio of aces. Philadelphia can probably survive if Cristopher Sánchez, Zack Wheeler and Jesús Luzardo go the distance at full strength, but one injury would throw Philadelphia's rotation into an absolute tailspin.

Neither Nola nor Painter feels like someone the Phillies can trust in October. Michael Lorenzen most certainly is not, but the Phillies need an experienced depth option. Lorenzen stopped by for a cup of coffee in Philly after the 2023 trade deadline. His stay was not exactly a success, but he's familiar with the organization, and there's no harm in stocking him on the Triple-A roster, just in case.

RHP Tomoyuki Sugano

Predicted landing spot: Houston Astros

If Colorado purges its veteran-laden rotation to set the stage for 2027 and beyond, Tomoyuki Sugano will have suitors. The 36-year-old has a respectable 4.47 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in 102.2 innings of work. His numbers under the hood are abysmal (7.71 xERA), and Sugano has a bad habit of giving up nukes. Even so, he has navigated the pitfalls of Coors Field better than expected. He does not hand out free passes, and he can pepper the strike zone with seven different pitches, most of which are at least serviceable.

The Astros have a bunch of not-so-desirable options behind Hunter Brown and Peter Lambert in the rotation right now. Sugano is probably not starting a playoff game for a serious franchise, but Houston should at least take a flier and see how Sugano looks in a better environment. He'd get to team up with fellow countryman Tatsuya Imai, if only for a couple weeks or months.

OF Starling Marte

Predicted landing spot: Baltimore Orioles

Starling Marte is 37 years old and he has been in sharp decline since his last All-Star campaign in 2022. Still, there's endless need for right-handed bats around the league. Marte still has some latent pop. The .625 OPS and 75 wRC+ won't inspire much confidence, but his canon-powered arm in right field is another selling point.

Baltimore more or less abandoned its postseason hopes with the Adley Rutschman trade, but the American League is hilariously wide-open, so there's still a path. The Orioles' outfield group is best described as an adventure. Marte might be better than some of their in-house options if he wants to take one last stab at rebuilding his value.

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