The Atlanta Braves have signed Marcell Ozuna: 3 important takeaways
2. Depth, Options Abound
Let’s look at the array of players signed this offseason as free agents:
- Nick Markakis (technically)
- Tyler Flowers (technically)
- Darren O’Day
- Chris Martin
- Will Smith
- Travis d’Arnaud
- Cole Hamels
- Charlie Culberson
- Rafael Ortega
- Chris Nunn
- Pete Kozma
- Yangervis Solarte
- Chris Rusin
- Felix Hernandez
- Adeiny Hechavarria
- Marcell Ozuna
That’s 16 names… 14 if you with to quibble and discount the first two who were coming back regardless.
Of these, a strong majority will either be on the major league roster or are expected to strongly compete for such a position.
In particular, the Atlanta outfield is now … let’s say a little “crowded” with Ender Inciarte, Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozuna, Adam Duvall, and Nick Markakis all competing for playing time.
The left side of the infield also has significant depth as Johan Camargo is now the one to inherit third base (for now) with Austin Riley expected to push him. Others who provide depth to the infield include Hechavarria, Culberson, Solarte, and Kozma.
You can expect Atlanta to add a minor league catcher for the AAA level at some point, but that’s truly a strong roster all up and down the list.
Strongly Active
For sure: the Atlanta Braves have done much more than any other club in baseball in trying to build in depth to the lineup all over the diamond.
Sportrac estimates that the Braves has spent $117,750,000 this Winter on free agents – not counting $17.005 million (so far) on atrbitation-avoidance contracts.
In total, that’s 8th overall in baseball (noting the extraordinary contracts doled out elsewhere as surpassing this $134.755 million. But no team has inked more free agents… the Brewers, Nationals, and Twins are close, but nobody beat’s Atlanta’s signed 9.
Of note: Marcell Ozuna is not simply one more name on this list, of course. He is being brought in specifically to bat 4th at part of a lineup that’s expecting to win playoff games… not just even regular season games. That’s a big deal.
Once Ozuna is asked about his decision to join this club, we can probably expect him to say that he wanted to be part of a ‘win now’ situation – and that’s been a strong part of the attraction of these myriad free agents: the chance to do and be a part of exactly that.
Likewise, King Felix almost certainly could have chosen another club that isn’t 2,600 miles away from the only organization he’s ever played for.
He could have found a team that gave him a better shot at being in a starting rotation. He chose Atlanta anyway. Whether that works out remains to be seen, but he wanted the chance to try that here.
Hernandez and Culberson both will have to earn their ways back… but they both were willing to take the chance at an attractive opportunity.