Braves made right decision letting $12M 3-time All-Star, 2-time Silver Slugger walk in free agency

The biggest offseason question last winter for the Atlanta Braves was whether they would bring back Marcell Ozuna. While he had a productive tenure in Atlanta, there were several warning signs that made a reunion increasingly difficult to justify.

“The problem Ozuna faces now is that he has only gotten older, his performance last season was subpar at best, and the teams that were previously considered to be landing spots for him feel unlikely to pursue him this offseason especially with how more and more organizations are treating the DH position,” HTHB’s Eric Cole wrote.

In the end, Atlanta decided to let Ozuna walk in free agency and move forward with internal options at designated hitter.

“The Pirates and slugger Marcell Ozuna are reportedly in agreement on a one-year, $12MM contract, pending a physical. The CAA client will be paid a $10.5MM salary this year, plus a $1.5MM buyout on a $16MM mutual option for the 2027 season,” MLB Trade Rumors’ Steve Adams wrote.

So far in 2026, the decision to move on from Ozuna has paid off. Ozuna has struggled significantly at the plate, while players such as Drake Baldwin, Dominic Smith, and others have produced effectively at the position.

“Rather than overpay for Ozuna — a player clearly on his last legs in the ATL — Alex Anthopoulos instead chose to employ a DH by committee. As of this writing, Drake Baldwin, Dominic Smith and Kyle Farmer man the position, with Baldwin taking most of the at-bats in the last 10 games. While comparing Baldwin to Ozuna is a bit unfair to the latter since the former also plays some catcher for the Braves, Baldwin has outproduced Ozuna by a wide margin so far this season. The same can be said of Smith and even Farmer,” FanSided’s Mark Powell wrote.

The Braves have played like one of the best teams in baseball, receiving contributions from multiple players across the roster. If they had re-signed Ozuna, it likely would have been an overpay given their current production at DH.

There is still a chance Ozuna can rebound with the Pirates, but Atlanta is in a strong position having moved on. Overall, the Braves’ offseason decisions have worked out well so far, including parting ways with a once-popular veteran in Ozuna.

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