Marcell Ozuna Fantasy

Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna's range has declined in recent years, and his arm strength hasn't really returned since he had right shoulder surgery after the 2018 season. The presence of the designated hitter for National League teams this year will allow the Braves to put Ozuna's power bat in the middle of the lineup without worrying about his defense. It would also allow Nick Markakis and Adam Duvall to platoon in left field. The .823 OPS that Markakis had against righties the last two years makes him a candidate to be in the lineup on a somewhat regular basis. Austin Riley and Johan Camargo will be battling for the third base job, so the loser of that battle could see regular DH at-bats. Riley doesn't stand out on defense in the outfield or at third base, but if his bat is hot, manager Brian Snitker will find a way to keep him in the lineup.

7 days ago

The Atlanta Braves and outfielder Marcell Ozuna agreed to a one-year, $18 million deal on Tuesday, according to sources familiar with the deal. Ozuna will hit in the middle of Atlanta's order and help replace the power production of third baseman Josh Donaldson, who signed with the Twins. Ozuna, 29, slashed .241/.328/.472 with 29 home runs, 89 RBI and 12 stolen bases in 130 games for the Cardinals in his second season in St. Louis in 2019. His batting average was a disappointment to his fantasy owners, but the power and improvement in stolen bases was welcomed. He'll have an excellent chance to drive in over 100 runs for the second time in his career hitting behind Ozzie Albies, Ronald Acuna and Freddie Freeman.

5 months ago

The Atlanta Braves are still searching for a middle-of-the-order bat to replace third baseman Josh Donaldson, and outfielders Marcell Ozuna and Nicholas Castellanos are seen as the most likely options. Ozuna and Castellanos are both by far the two best available bats on the free-agent market. Both offer solid power profiles at the corner outfield spots. Although neither can play the hot corner in Atlanta, their presence would certainly help make up for the loss of Donaldson's thump in the batting order. As of now, Austin Riley is likely to see most of the playing time at third base now that Donaldson is in Minnesota, which will open up a spot in the corner outfield in Atlanta.

5 months ago