As soon as Marcell Ozuna stumbled to start the 2025 season, it became clear that the Atlanta Braves were unlikely to reunite with him after the season. While Ozuna has somewhat rehabilitated his image with many fans, the fact remains that an aging DH with diminishing production is not something the Braves can afford to give real money, let alone give an everyday roster spot to. While hitters with Ozuna's track record normally can find gainful employment somewhere, his free agency is a bit more complicated than that.
Everyone knew that the Braves were trying to trade the pending free agent Ozuna at the trade deadline, but they didn't find a taker at a price point they found acceptable. There is some merit to the possibility that Atlanta's asking price was simply too high for what Ozuna is as he had not been playing well in the lead-up to the deadline. However, there were also reports that Ozuna's off-the-field issues suppressed his market as well.
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.
Marcell Ozuna's free agent market (or lack thereof) may force the former Braves slugger to take a short-term deal
At the trade deadline, the Padres, Rangers, and Mariners were all named as fits for Ozuna and other potential options were out there as well. Again, all three are teams that needed a boost of offense at the time, so the interest made sense in a vacuum. However, Ozuna's 2025 production gave no guarantee he would provide that short-term boost they were looking for.
Now, all three of those teams are in a different place. Not only are a lot of teams in general opting against full-time designated hitters in favor of lineup flexibility, but it doesn't feel like any of Ozuna's former suitors are likely to be super motivated to bid for his services. The Padres are losing multiple key free agents and have an owner situation that may require spending to be reined in, the Rangers are having real revenue problems and an aging roster, and the Mariners are probably going to prioritize keeping Josh Naylor around and possibly pursue a younger bat.
Once you start thinking about it, the number of contenders that would be interested in Ozuna's services are not a long list and at his age, playing for a crummy team probably doesn't have much appeal. Ozuna's best bet is to try to find a contender that will give him a chance on a short-term contract with a lucrative team or vesting option. There is at least some merit to that and could give Ozuna the opportunity to eventually get the payday that he cost himself.