We all know how much the Atlanta Braves love a reunion. They couldn't quit Kelly Johnson or Jesse Chavez. They brought back both 2021 postseason heroes Jorge Soler and Eddie Rosario. Hell, just this year, they re-signed Carlos Carrasco around a half a dozen times. When Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves know a player, there is always a chance that they bring them back, and that could be a problem.
Most sane people knew that last year was going to be the last year we saw Marcell Ozuna in a Braves uniform. He was a critical piece of some really good Braves teams, but multiple arrests made him an off-the-field liability and his performance on the field absolutely cratered. So, when the Pirates signed Ozuna, many fans were breathing a sigh of relief.
However, Pittsburgh just realized their mistake and released Ozuna on Wednesday after a brutal 70 games in their lineup, and that should immediately raise alarms that Atlanta could try to run it back with him one last time.
Marcell Ozuna is NOT the bat the Braves are looking for...and it isn't close
Let's start with why the Braves might consider bringing Ozuna back. In addition to their familiarity with his highs and lows, Ozuna is going to have to accept a very cheap deal if he is going to be given a chance anywhere. He is also a right-handed bat, which does track with an ongoing Braves need, although trading for Lane Thomas does help.
After that, there is a laundry list of reasons why Atlanta should avoid Ozuna like the plague. Ignoring this off-the-field issues since the Braves did so previously, Ozuna is almost 36 years old and hasn't hit his weight in almost two years now. If you are thinking he could at least help against lefty pitchers, Ozuna has only managed a .207/.291/.370 against southpaws this season, and he was only marginally better than that last year. By nearly any hitting metric you look at, Ozuna is not worth fielding on a major league roster, and it is a miracle he lasted as long as he did with the Pirates.
Some will say that if he is cheap, why not take a chance on Ozuna since there is "no risk"? Here is the fundamental problem: if you put Ozuna, who is liked in the Braves clubhouse, on their roster, he is going to play a lot more than he has any right to, and it will cost the Braves games. You want proof? Look at how Atlanta and Walt Weiss have continued to run out other players every day even though they can't hit their way out of a wet paper bag. Buying lottery tickets here and there is fine sometimes, but this one would be asking for trouble.
Add us as a preferred source on Google