Atlanta almost did the right thing with Marcell Ozuna

According to some Atlanta Braves rumors after the MLB trade deadline, the team almost sold Marcell Ozuna to a division rival.

The Atlanta Braves rumors don’t have to end when the MLB trade deadline ends. Corresponding Barry Jackson and Craig Mish of the Miami HeraldThe Braves almost did the right thing with Ozuna and traded him to the Miami Marlins.

In a deal that would have traded two seemingly bad contracts, the Braves would have dumped Ozuna and his unwanted .222/.275/.406 slash (but with 19 home runs) onto a division rival.

If it had been a straight, one-for-one deal, these Braves rumors would have resulted in Ozuna’s $36 million over the next two seasons — plus a $1 million buyout in 2025 — to Miami would have gone for Avisail Garcia and his longer and slightly beefier payday. The Marlins unwisely signed him to a deal that pays out $12 million each in the first four years with a $5 million buyout in 2026.

Braves Rumours: Marcell Ozuna almost got dumped on the Marlins

Ozuna deal with Atlanta is aging badly. His suspension for 2021 adds it from a non-baseball point of view. That alone made him an undesirable player for many fans.

Strictly from a play point of view on the field, he is also a one-dimensional player who is only really useful as a power hit DH. His pop isn’t gone yet, but any sense that he can play defense productively is gone now.

Most amazingly, he led the National League in home runs and RBI in 2020. He did it with a .338/.431/.636 slash in 267 plate appearances. At first it looked like Atlanta was right to sign him.

Garcia might not have changed things had he switched to a pennant race, but he’s a better defensive player at this point in his career. His best season came just last year when he hit 29 homers for the Milwaukee Brewers, hitting .262/.330/.490.

These Braves rumors could still lead to future discussions with the Marlins or maybe even another team. There is clearly an interest from Atlanta to continue. The key will be finding the right match.