Alex Anthopoulos Explains Why Braves Let Marcell Ozuna Walk in Free Agency

NORTH PORT – The Atlanta Braves moved on from long-time designated hitter Marcell Ozuna this offseason. The slugger signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates worth $12 million.

In a video posted on social media by 11-Alive’s Reggie Chatman Jr., Braves general manager and president of baseball operations, Alex Anthopoulos, explained why the team opted to let Ozuna walk in free agency.

“He was great in the month of April, even his May numbers were really good, but in April, he was elite,” Anthopoulos said. “But he got banged up with the hip early, and he was able to overcome that, but I think it impacted his year. I’m excited that he got a spot. I think he’ll do great things for the Pirates, as well.”

Anthopoulos said that the new manager, Walt Weiss, preferred to keep the designated hitter slot open in his lineup. Having that flexibility provides him with some additional options over 162 games to get players off their feet, but not lose their bats in the lineup.

“When Marcell is [hitting] 39, 40 homers and a top-five MVP bat, those are guys that are easy to carry as everyday DHs,” Anthopoulos continued. “The roster just made more sense with having that slot open. It allows us now to move guys around.”

Ozuna, 35, has been very productive at the plate since joining the Braves in 2020, reaching one All-Star game (2024). He played left field for them at times, but was largely utilized as a designated hitter. Over his six seasons in Atlanta, Ozuna slashed .265/.347/.489 with an OPS+ of 127, with 410 RBI, 118 doubles, and 148 home runs.

His best season would come in 2024, where he would finish fourth in the MVP voting after hitting 39 home runs and slashing .302/.378/.546 with an OPS+ of 154 and 1.6 WAR. That year would serve as a second-straight season of dominance at the plate, a stark contrast from his 2021 and 2022 seasons. Over those two years, Ozuna would serve suspensions for off-field domestic issues and would struggle at the plate when he was available.

After the strong seasons in 2023 and 2024, Ozuna’s production fell off a bit in 2025 as he played through a hip injury that he picked up early in the year. After a hot start, his OPS dropped to .743 in the season’s second half.

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He began losing bat speed and making less contact at the plate, while adding little to no fielding benefit. As a result, the Braves were comfortable with letting their slugger find a new team in free agency.

For the Pirates, they will hope Ozuna can help elevate a lineup in need of some support in the middle. They will feature a strong starting rotation, but have a need for some power, and they will look for a bounce-back season from Ozuna. Even as a hobbled player, his 114 WRC+ would have been the second-best mark for Pittsburgh last season.