The Pittsburgh Pirates added more thump to their lineup by agreeing to a one-year, $12 million deal with designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, a source told Pittsburgh Baseball Now. The deal is pending a physical.
Ozuna’s deal will pay him $10.5 million in 2026 and there’s a $1.5 million buyout on a $16 million mutual option for 2027.
Ozuna, a 13-year veteran, has spent the last six seasons of his career with the Atlanta Braves after starting his career with the Miami Marlins and playing for the St. Louis Cardinals from 2018-19.
The 35-year-old owns a .269/.336/.469 batting line (119 OPS+), needs four more home runs in his career for 300 and 52 more RBI for 1,000. Throughout his career, Ozuna has been named an All-Star three times, won two Silver Sluggers, a Gold Glove and received MVP consideration four times.
Last season with the Braves, Ozuna slashed .232/.355/.400 with 19 doubles, 21 home runs and 68 RBI in 145 games. In 2024, Ozuna had one of the best statistical seasons of his career when he slashed .302/.378/.546 with 31 doubles, a career-high 39 home runs and 104 RBI in 162 games. He was named a National League All-Star and finished fourth in the MVP race.
Although Ozuna began his career as a corner outfielder, he’s played almost exclusively as a DH since the start of the 2023 season, all but closing the book on an Andrew McCutchen return to Pittsburgh for 2026.
Ozuna joins a handful of new lineup upgrades for the Pirates this offseason including Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn, Jake Mangum and Jhostynxon GarcÃa.
Once the deal with Ozuna becomes official, the Pirates will have added a right-handed complement to the middle of their lineup to balance out majority left-handed hitting with Lowe, O’Hearn, Bryan Reynolds (switch-hitter), Oneil Cruz, and Spencer Horwitz.
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