Anyone who has watched Marcell Ozuna with the Atlanta Braves over the last year understands exactly why Alex Anthopoulos decided to move on. It was absolutely true that Ozuna was a key cog in the Braves’ lineup for years, he cratered that year so badly that the Braves couldn’t move him at the trade deadline with his off-the-field baggage.
Still, you would think that there would be more rumor mill chatter over Ozuna than there has been. Even if Ozuna is in decline, there were few bats on the free agent market with actual upside and he is still hitting the ball pretty hard. However, until recently, Ozuna’s market has been nothing but crickets.
That changed as teams were getting ready to head to spring training. Ozuna’s name was starting to pop up here and there and on Monday, it was reported that Ozuna signed with the Pirates who, to the surprise of no one, could really use a boost of offense.
Marcell Ozuna to the Pirates. $12M. Pending physical
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) February 9, 2026Marcell Ozuna signs with the Pirates as offseason options dry up