Guardians predicted to sign $60M Braves World Series champion, 2X Silver Slugger, Gold Glove winner

Hunter Cookston

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Guardians predicted to sign $60M Braves World Series champion, 2X Silver Slugger, Gold Glove winner image

Had Marcell Ozuna not had the season he did in 2025, he likely would be the most sought-after DH in this free agency cycle. However, that isn’t the case, and teams currently view him as a potential risk to sign. The Atlanta Braves attempted to trade him several times last season, but he refused every offer.

“It’s possible that while Anthopoulos was discussing trades, he couldn’t agree on a deal that Ozuna’s agent could also sign off on. Just because Ozuna is leaving the deadline out of his hands doesn’t mean the 10-5 rights go out the window. He could have simply handed over those rights to his agent for the discussions,” SI’s Harrison Smajovits wrote.

With Ozuna aging and other factors at play, he isn’t an especially appealing free agent candidate so far this offseason.

“The problem Ozuna faces now is that he has only gotten older, his performance last season was subpar at best, and the teams that were previously considered to be landing spots for him feel unlikely to pursue him this offseason especially with how more and more organizations are treating the DH position,” HTHB’s Eric Cole wrote.

FanSided’s Christopher Kline believes the Cleveland Guardians could sign Ozuna to a low-risk deal, adding protection in the lineup alongside José Ramírez.

“This Cleveland Guardians team desperately needs more pop in the heart of the lineup. Kyle Manzardo made a strong first impression as a rookie. Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana are coming behind him as top prospects who can rip it. But even if it's a one-year deal, Ozuna has the goods to protect José Ramírez in the heart of the order and pop a few more dingers than Cleveland fans are used to,” Kline wrote.

The Guardians won the AL Central last year after a late-season comeback against the Detroit Tigers. Ozuna, meanwhile, just wants to finish his career on a strong note after a difficult 2025 season.

Cleveland is a playoff-caliber team that could benefit from Ozuna’s bat and veteran presence in the clubhouse. This type of one-year deal could pay major dividends for the Guardians.

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Contributing writer

Editorial Team