What the Pirates Marcell Ozuna Signing Means for the Reds in NL Central

The Pittsburgh Pirates agreed to a one-year, $12 million deal with slugger Marcell Ozuna on Monday morning, according to Mike Rodriguez. The deal has a $16 million mutual option for 2027 and a $1.5 million buyout.

What Does This Mean for the Reds?

According to FanGraphs, the Pirates have an 18.6% chance to win the NL Central, while the Reds have just a 9.4% chance to win the division.

While Ozuna had a down year last season, he still had an OPS of .755 and hit 21 home runs. That type of season helps a lot of teams, and it should certainly help the Pirates.

In 2023 and 2024, he had an OPS over .900 with 79 combined home runs. However, if the Pirates ask Ozuna to play the outfield, it could be an adventure. He hasn’t played the outfield regularly since 2022, when he had an Outs Above Average of -4. Since then, he’s dealt with injuries, which have greatly limited his mobility.

The Pirates have added Ozuna, Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Jose Urquidy, Jake Mangum, Gergory Soto, Mason Montgomery, and Jhostynxon Garcia this offseason. While those names aren’t going to blow you away, the Pirates definitely got better this offseason and it’ll make the NL Central that much better.

It seems like the Cardinals are resetting in 2026, but the Brewers, Cubs, and Pirates all should be pretty good.

If the Reds want to contend in the division, they’re going to have to play fantastic baseball all season long.

Pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training this week.

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What the Pirates Marcell Ozuna Signing Means for the Reds in NL Central

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