Braves won’t shut the door on Marcell Ozuna returning
Among the Braves many needs, adding another bat in the offseason has to get done with Marcell Ozuna hitting free agency. Most expect the Braves to target an outfielder, allowing guys like Ronald Acuña Jr., Drake Baldwin, and Jurickson Profar to spend some time as the designated hitter when warranted. Atlanta has to place an […] The post Braves won’t shut the door on Marcell Ozuna returning appeared first on SportsTalkATL.com.
Among the Braves many needs, adding another bat in the offseason has to get done with Marcell Ozuna hitting free agency.
Most expect the Braves to target an outfielder, allowing guys like Ronald Acuña Jr., Drake Baldwin, and Jurickson Profar to spend some time as the designated hitter when warranted. Atlanta has to place an emphasis on protecting Acuña from himself, even if he’d like to play 162 games in right field. Drake Baldwin’s bat can’t sit on the bench as much as it did this year, and Jurickson Profar proved to be a downright horrendous defender in left field.
However, Alex Anthopoulos wouldn’t rule out adding a DH only type of bat this offseason, which includes Marcell Ozuna, who they have not yet shut the door on returning.
“We haven’t closed the door on guys like Ozuna, but we just don’t know,” Anthopoulos said, via Mark Bowman of MLB.com. “We’ll see what opportunities present themselves in the winter. If someone who is a pure DH is the right move, we’ll make it. But right now, we’re not committed to anything.”
A lot of Ozuna’s market this offseason will be determined by his health. He suffered a tear in his hip back in April, and while he played through it, it clearly affected him, particularly in the power department, as he hit just 21 homers after back-to-back seasons with 39+ long balls.
If Ozuna’s medicals check out, he should have a pretty significant market. He was arguably the best offensive player on the Braves in 2023-2024 and is universally liked in the clubhouse. Plus, entering his age 35 season, he’s going to command a two-year pact at the most in the $15 million AAV range. Anybody with an opening at DH should have interest, including the Braves if the price is right.
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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
The post Braves won’t shut the door on Marcell Ozuna returning appeared first on SportsTalkATL.com.
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