Atlanta Braves fans know turnaround story of Marcell Ozuna all too well by now. Ozuna felt like he ways days away from being DFA’d back in April of 2023, and has somehow flipped the script entirely. He played so well over the past two seasons that Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos picked up Ozuna’s $16 million club option for 2025 it what was ultimately a no-brainer decision.
Ozuna enters 2025 at age 34, and in the final year of his contract. The big bear is one of the very few strict DH’s in todays game, and given his continued production he still brings a ton of value to the team despite not factoring in on defense or the basepaths.
That offensive production generally starts to decline during players mid 30s. However, should the big bear continue to pummel baseballs the Braves then have a serious decision looming next offseason. In Ken Sugiura’s recent article on the AJC, Ozuna opened up about the possibility of playing in Atlanta beyond 2025.
Marcell Ozuna focused on 2025 and being the best teammate possible to fellow Braves
First and foremost, Ozuna said his full attention was on the 2025 season. The veteran slugger has become a important clubhouse leader in Atlanta, and someone other hitters can turn to when they’re in a slump. While he doesn’t have any numerical goals, Ozuna wants to remain healthy and “Give my best to my teammates.”
Ozuna said he hopes to remain with the Braves beyond 2025, but also recognizes “business is business” in Major League Baseball. The big bear noted that some players tend to put pressure on themselves when entering the final year of their contract. However, Ozuna claims he’s not thinking about that and instead focused on having fun playing the game.
It’s the right mentality to have for 2025, and one that could spur another powerful year at the plate. Should that happen the Braves will need to evaluate if they prefer the offensive production from Ozuna in the DH spot or the flexibility they could gain in 2026 without Ozuna on the team. With questions about Ozzie Albies defense, Ronald Acuna Jr.’s knees, and two potential starting level catchers in Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin, opening the DH spot in 2026 could prove beneficial to Atlanta.
However, Ozuna has shown no signs of slowing down and losing a powerful bat like that wouldn’t be an easy thing to replace. Regardless, all of those questions are still far far away from requiring answers. Perhaps it’s best to think like the big bear and focus on 2025 instead.
