Is there still a chance the Braves bring back Marcell Ozuna?

After a slew of recent free-agent signings, the Atlanta Braves roster — from a position-player standpoint — appears set.

Ha-Seong Kim returns on a one-year deal and will remain the club’s starting shortstop. He’ll be surrounded in the infield by three familiar faces in Ozzie Albies, Austin Riley, and Matt Olson. Behind the plate, the tandem of Drake Baldwin and Sean Murphy remains unchanged, and in the outfield, things look mostly the same, with the addition of Mike Yastrzemski providing much-needed depth and versatility. On the bench, the Braves also added Mauricio Dubon, who is quite literally capable of playing anywhere on the diamond when needed.

If nothing else were done between now and Opening Day, the Braves would likely be just fine offensively. However, there is one potential addition still worth mulling over as the offseason unfolds: Marcell Ozuna.

Alex Anthopoulos has already stated that he would like to keep the designated hitter spot flexible, allowing Walt Weiss to give multiple players rest days as he sees fit. Drake Baldwin, Ronald Acuña Jr., Jurickson Profar, Sean Murphy, Mike Yastrzemski, Austin Riley, and even the ironman Matt Olson could all spend time at DH throughout the season. That flexibility is made even more feasible with Dubon on the roster, who can fill in defensively for any of them.

That appears to be the current vision, but adding the potential threat of another power bat would be a significant plus, especially if Ozuna were able to regain the form he showed a couple of seasons ago. That said, the decision likely has little to do with what the Braves prefer and much more to do with Ozuna’s market.

Atlanta is not going to guarantee him a starting role, which alone makes a reunion in 2026 unlikely. But if Ozuna’s market proves to be cooler than expected, and no team is willing to offer anything beyond an opportunity to compete for playing time, that’s where things could get interesting.

The Braves lineup is in far better shape than it was at any point last season, but the idea of adding a low-risk, lottery-ticket power bat is still an enticing proposition, as long as the price tag is minimal.

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Photo: John Adams/Icon Sportswire

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