Anyone who has watched Marcell Ozuna with the Atlanta Braves over the last year understands exactly why Alex Anthopoulos decided to move on. It was absolutely true that Ozuna was a key cog in the Braves' lineup for years, but he cratered that year so badly that the Braves couldn't move him at the trade deadline with his off-the-field baggage.
Still, you would think that there would be more rumor mill chatter over Ozuna than there has been. Even if Ozuna is in decline, there were few bats on the free agent market with actual upside, and he is still hitting the ball pretty hard. However, until recently, Ozuna's market had been nothing but crickets.
That changed as teams were getting ready to head to spring training. Ozuna's name was starting to pop up here and there, and on Monday, it was reported that Ozuna signed with the Pirates, who, to the surprise of no one, could really use a boost of offense.
Marcell Ozuna to the Pirates. $12M. Pending physical
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 9, 2026
Marcell Ozuna signs with the Pirates as offseason options dry up
While Ozuna was one of the hitters with the best resumes on the market, the fundamental problem he probably ran into was that he is a strictly DH-only option. Barring an emergency, Ozuna's days in the field are long since gone, and with teams valuing flexibility these days with their designated hitter spots, Ozuna didn't really have a clear fit. His previous legal troubles certainly couldn't have helped very much.
Still, Ozuna did end up getting a one-year, $12 million deal from the Pirates, which represents a significant investment from a team that rarely hands out contracts for real money. Pittsburgh is in a curious place these days as the lineup is very much a work in progress, but the rotation led by Paul Skenes can play with anyone, and they are likely to promote all-world prospect Konnor Griffin at some point this season.
All in all, this is a good situation for Ozuna. He can get a change of scenery and continue to rehabilitate his image. The off-the-field questions will likely follow him into retirement, but Ozuna can take some of the edge off by being a strong veteran presence in the Pirates' clubhouse and keeping himself out of trouble.