The Atlanta Braves have a lot of decisions to make this offseason regarding their roster. There’s a possibility that some of the most familiar faces could be let go. One name to watch is none other than Marcell Ozuna.
“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.
The Braves tried to trade him last season, but he ended up using his no-trade clause a total of three times at the trade deadline.
“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.
If the Braves do decide to move on from Ozuna, they could pursue Eugenio Suarez as a replacement.
“His veteran bat makes for a nice addition to the lineup. That glove is not. If he wants to keep playing third base, so be it. However, there is no reason not to see if he could be a DH option,” Smajovitts wrote. “Don’t count on him hitting 49 home runs again, but hitting 30 is reasonable. He’s reached that mark six times in a career that’s seen him amass 325 home runs. His age, 34, makes him more affordable than he likely would have been.”
The Braves could secure a solid deal with Suarez, who is approaching the end of his career. The days of Ozuna appear to be coming to an end.
It’s clear the Braves know it’s time to move on from the Big Bear. This offseason may be full of farewells.
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