Ahead of the 2020 season, Marcell Ozuna signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves and did well. He hit.338/.431/.636 with 18 home runs and 56 runs batted in.
The following season, he re-signed with the Braves, but for much longer. The two sides agreed on a four-year, $64 million deal. During that time, he has been a big chunk of Atlanta's offense, but his time with the club could be over.
Ozuna currently sits on the open market as a free agent. And there is a high possibility that the Braves could be interested in other players over someone who has been there since 2020.
Braves' Marcell Ozuna gets $30 million contract projection from ESPN insider
Marcell Ozuna could be a free agent that some teams may want to stay away from, as ESPN's Kiley McDaniel believes his age and injury history could be a problem.
"Ozuna is a right-handed-hitting designated hitter who just turned 35, so he's already generically in the danger zone when it comes to multiyear deals. He also battled a hip issue starting in roughly May of last season, and if you split his season in half on June 1, you get a start contrast:.284/.427/.474, 155 wRC+ in 241 PA before.199/.306/.354, 86 wRC+ in 351 PA after."
His performance drop-off after the injury is concerning, and he is not someone that many teams will be excited to give a multiyear contract to, as he is an aging DH.
McDaniel believes Ozuna will sign a two-year, $30 million contract, which closely resembles the four-year deal he signed with Atlanta. It will be interesting to see which teams jump the gun and sign Ozuna. The Texas Rangers could be a perfect fit as they are looking for a DH upgrade over the winter.
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