3 players the Braves could regret paying as much as they are in 2024

Marcell Ozuna

If you were to circle one name before the 2023 season that Braves fans almost universally wanted to trade away, it would have been Marcell Ozuna. His off the field issues combined with total lack of production on the field made him a popular target for fans' ire. Based on the reporting from those first couple of months of the 2023 season, it sure seemed like Ozuna was very close to getting cut from the roster altogether.

However, Ozuna somehow found his footing to at least produce on the field last season. In almost 600 plate appearances in 2023, Ozuna slashed .274/.346/.558 while hitting a career high 40 home runs. It is also worth mentioning that multiple reports have shown Ozuna to be beloved in the Braves clubhouse despite his multiple arrests in recent years.

Aside from his self-inflicted reputation for making poor life choices adding risk to his inclusion on the roster, folks may want to pump the brakes on assuming that Ozuna is completely return to form after one good season. This is still the same guy that averaged a .675 OPS combined for the 2021 and 2022 and he is 33 years old. His career is also filled with inconsistency at the plate which is where all his value is since putting him in the field is definitely not a good idea.

Marcell is set to make $16 million in 2024 and the Braves also hold a club option for that amount for 2025. If Ozuna has another good season, that will be money well spent and it isn't that crazy to think that the Braves could consider exercising that option of his. However, if he regresses again...or gets hurt again...or gets arrested again, that deal is going to look pretty rough.