ATLANTA – The Atlanta Braves bring back Marcell Ozuna and sign the slugger for a four-year, $ 64 million contract.
The Braves announced the deal for the National League home series and the RBI leader on Friday night, less than two weeks before pitchers and catchers sign up for spring training. The contract includes a $ 16 million fifth-year club option that will take it up to $ 80 million with a $ 1 million buyout, giving Ozuna $ 65 million in guaranteed money.
The Braves made the biggest commitment to Ozuna, despite the fact that he did not give the assurance that there would be a designated hit in the NL in 2021. He thrives in the role in 2020 and helps the Braves to win the NL East and achieve within one victory to advance to the World Series. . The Braves lost in the 7th game of the NL Championship series against the Los Angeles Dodgers after leading the series 3-1.
Ozuna’s value to the team in the clubhouse and as protection of the drafting of the NL MVP for Freddie Freeman in 2020, was crucial to the team’s hopes of winning a fourth consecutive title in the NL East and more ‘ to reach a run for the World Series.
Ozuna, who has played with three teams over the past four seasons, said he is happy to settle in Atlanta.
“Ever since I was a kid, I’ve been dreaming about this day,” he wrote on his Instagram account. ‘The day I could name a house. Through good fortune, I have now kept my faith. Today I can officially say I’m back !!
The agreement has Freeman, who posted to his Twitter account, “like this !! Let’s go!”
After the 2019 season, Ozuna took a chance and made a qualifying offer from the St. Louis Cardinals rejected $ 17.8 million and signed a one-year $ 18 million deal with the Braves at the end of January. The move paid off well as the slugger finished sixth in the NL MVP poll after leading the league with 18 home games, 56 RBIs and 145 total bases. He was third in the NL with a career-best .338 batting average and .636 pass percentage.
The bet? The Cardinals’ $ 17.8 million qualifying bid would have represented 41% of his career earnings up to that point.
Although Ozuna, who turned 30 on November 30, was considered a defensive liability to some extent after suffering a shoulder injury, he did see action in the left field for the Braves while playing all 60 games during the shortened season. . However, most of his innings for Atlanta came as the team’s designated hit, following Freeman in the series when the Braves won the NL East title while picking from some of the best offensive figures in team history.
“My strength came because I’m healthy,” Ozuna said after the season. “… I just got ready and gave my best to my teammates and let’s go play.”
Ozuna would open the season as Atlanta’s forward in the left field if the DH is not reinstated.
The NL accepted the DH last year as part of baseball’s health and safety protocols to play through the pandemic. Ozuna started 39 as Atlanta’s primary DH.
Major League Baseball proposed in talks with the players’ association last week to renew the universal DH, but the union rejected the proposal, which would also delay the start of the regular season and widen the field after the season. It is still possible that the parties will agree to restore the DH this year, or during negotiations on a new collective bargaining agreement after this season.
Before joining the Braves, Ozuna spent two seasons with the Cardinals, protecting Paul Goldschmidt in the series. running, making two All-Star games on the strength of his bat.
Since the start of the 2017 season, Ozuna has 357 RBIs, second next to the Rockies’ Nolan Arenado (384) and just ahead of Freeman (343) among the National League players, according to ESPN Stats & Information.
In eight MLB seasons, he has a batting average of 0.276 with 166 home runs, 594 RBIs and 505 runs scored for the Marlins, Cardinals and Braves.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.