Braves made right decision letting $12M 3-time All-Star, 2-time Silver Slugger walk in free agency
The Braves were smart in not letting this clubhouse leader back in 2026.
Braves made right decision letting $12M 3-time All-Star, 2-time Silver Slugger walk in free agency originally appeared on The Sporting News . Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The biggest offseason question last winter for the Atlanta Braves was whether they would bring back Marcell Ozuna.
While he had a productive tenure in Atlanta, there were several warning signs that made a reunion increasingly difficult to justify. “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,” HTHB’s Eric Cole wrote. In the end, Atlanta decided to let Ozuna walk in free agency and move forward with internal options at designated hitter.
“The Pirates and slugger Marcell Ozuna are reportedly in agreement on a one-year, $12MM contract, pending a physical. The CAA client will be paid a $10. 5MM salary this year, plus a $1.
5MM buyout on a $16MM mutual option for the 2027 season,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams wrote. So far in 2026, the decision to move on from Ozuna has paid off. Ozuna has struggled significantly at the plate, while players such as Drake Baldwin, Dominic Smith, and others have produced effectively at the position.