Pirates Still Pursuing Top Free Agent Bat
In this story:
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have missed out on many of the top free agent position players this offseason, but can still add one with Spring Training coming soon.
Mike Rodriguez, an MLB insider, reported that the Pirates are still pursuing free agent Marcell Ozuna, while the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays have interest in him as well.
The Pirates have had interest in Ozuna this offseason, with Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic previously reporting so. After recent misses, there are reasons why Ozuna makes sense for the Pirates to sign this offseason.
Why a Marcell Ozuna Signing Works for the Pirates
The Pirates served as one of the worst hitting teams in baseball, with the lowest slugging percentage (.350) and OPS (.655), the third lowest batting average (.231) and the eighth lowest on-base percentage (.305).
Pittsburgh also scored the least runs (583) and drove in the least RBI (561), both lower than the 43-119 Colorado Rockies. They also hit the least home runs (117), 31 home runs less than then second-lowest team in the St. Louis Cardinals at 148 home runs, and had the seventh most strikeouts (1,422).
Ozuna has had a successful career at the major league-level, as a three-time All-Star (2016-17, 2024), two-time Silver Slugger Award Winner (2017, 2020) and a Gold Glove Award winner in 2017.
He has hit more than 20 home runs in every season, except one, that he's played at least 100 games in a season.
Season (Games) | Home Runs |
|---|---|
2014 (153) | 23 |
2015 (123) | 10 |
2016 (148) | 23 |
2017 (159) | 37 |
2018 (148) | 23 |
2019 (130) | 29 |
2022 (124) | 23 |
2023 (144) | 40 |
2024 (165) | 39 |
2025 (145) | 21 |
His best season came in the 60-game shortened 2020 campaign, due to the COVID-19 campaign, where he led the National League in both home runs (18) and RBIs (56), earning All-MLB First Team honors as a result.
Ozuna spent the past five seasons with the Braves, after signing a four-year, $65 million deal ahead of the 2020 season and then staying on last season for a $16 million club option.
He had a strong showing in 2024, slashing .302/.378/.546 for an OPS of .925 and played all 162 games, with 31 doubles, 39 home runs and 104 RBI.
Ozuna saw his numbers drop last season, but his .755 OPS was still the better than any Pirates player.
He is also a right-handed power bat, something the Pirates don't have in a lineup that is mostly dominated by left-handed hitters.
Why There Are Concerns for Pirates Signing Ozuna
The Pirates have made some important offseason additions in the likes of left-handed power bats like second baseman Brandon Lowe, who led his position with 31 home runs, from the Rays and free agent Ryan O'Hearn, who has averaged an .800 OPS over the past three seasons.
Ozuna mostly features at designated hitter, which doesn't address the needs the Pirates have at third baseman, shortstop or the outfield.
Lowe and O'Hearn can both serve as designated hitters, and so too can returners in the likes of center fielder Oneil Cruz, right fielder Bryan Reynolds, first baseman Spencer Horwitz and catcher Joey Bart.
Ozuna also turned 35 years old and is heading towards the latter stages of his career, making a long-term contract undesirable for the Pirates and most other teams.
Spotrac has a calculated market value for Ozuna at two-years, $27,416,016, or about $13.7 million per year.
That $13.7 million would be the third highest contract on the team, not entirely unreasonable for the Pirates necessarily, but they would still need additions at the positions previously mentioned, plus also left-handed starting pitching.
Pittsburgh may consider a cheaper option, such as bringing back Andrew McCutchen, who could also play the outfield, instead of just designated hitter, like Ozuna.
There are off-field concerns with Ozuna as well, who was arrested and charged with aggravated assault by strangulation and battery on May 29, 2021, with Sandy Springs Police claimed they witnessed Ozuna grab his wife, Genesis Guzman, and throw her against the wall.
Ozuna completed a diversion program, which had his charges dropped, but the MLB placed him on the Restricted List, where he missed the final 20 games of the 2021 season, plus the postseason, as the Braves won the World Series.
The Pirates have signed players who have had domestic violence accusations/charges, including pitchers in Aroldis Chapman and Domingo German.
They also kept outfielder Ji Hwan Bae on after his assault charge in May 2018, which led to a 30-game suspension without pay from MLB in April 2019. He stayed with the franchise through to the 2025 season.
Pittsburgh does need offense for next season and a right-handed power bat, so it wouldn't come as a surprise if they think he's the right player for their roster in 2026.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.