The deterrent here is likely the veteran Andrew McCutchen, who seems to be in “Pirates or retirement” mode ahead of his age-39 season. However, the fringe Hall of Famer has declined from a 115 wRC+ in 2023, to 106 in 2024, to just 95 this past year. While watching him go out where it all began is beautiful for the game, it’s got to come to a close eventually.
Replacing him with someone like Ozuna is something of a stark contrast optically, but he’d be a sizeable upgrade on the field. While PNC Park would’ve hurt his power production every year of his Braves tenure, that doesn’t mean signing there is a bad idea.
The Pirates played at a 77-win pace after firing Derek Shelton last season. Not good, but in line with their output the previous two seasons. With uncertainty surrounding the long-term future of Ace Paul Skenes in Pittsburgh, there’s pressure on the team to start winning or risk losing him for a draft pick in a few years.
Ozuna is hardly a star at this stage of his career, but he’d provide stability to that lineup.
Kansas City Royals
Another team on the prowl for offense is the Kansas City Royals. While rumors circulated early this offseason that they’d be big game hunting on offense, it feels more reasonable to expect they sign someone in Ozuna’s tier of bat.
Not the greatest ballpark for offense, but the Royals have taken a righty slugger and turned him into a monster before (see: Jorge Soler). Ozuna is a bit older than Soler was when he led the league in homers, but that doesn’t mean he’s not a good addition for that roster.