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ATLANTA – Now that he’s locked into the Atlanta Braves, Marcell Ozuna couldn’t resist a cheerful boost to general manager Alex Anthopoulos.
“Alex, I have a question for you,” Ozuma told Anthopoulos as the two participated in a Zoom call on Saturday. “Why didn’t you sign me at the end of the season?”
Instead, the Braves waited a few weeks before the start of spring training to secure a four-year, $ 64 million contract with a slugger who just missed the National League Triple Crown during the shortened 2020 season.
Ozuna’s return ensures that the Braves, who have won three straight NL East titles, will remain one of the top contenders for the championship as a new season approaches.
They clinched a pre-World Series victory a year ago, losing to eventual champions Los Angeles Dodgers in a seven-game NL Championship streak after losing a 3-1 lead.
Now, having stepped up their rotation with the free agent signings of Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly, they have ensured that their powerful squad returns largely intact in 2021.
“We have a very good club,” said Anthopoulos. “We have a World Series caliber club. We need things to go well and so on, but everyone on the list believes we are capable of winning the World Series.”
The Braves knew they wanted to bring back Ozuna – who led the NL with 18 homers and 56 RBIs and was third in batting average at 0.338 – but they were slow to make their move after quickly signing Morton and Smyly to a year. deals at the start of free agency.
Just days before the Braves deal was finalized on Friday, Ozuna expected to play elsewhere in 2021. He had an offer from the Tampa Bay Rays, but was keen on something better.
Finally, the Braves jumped into the mix.
It only took a day to reach an agreement.
“We only talked about a contract a day or two ago,” Anthopoulos said. “It was done very quickly.”
Ozuna, who had never hesitated to say what he was thinking, rushed to ask why the deal hadn’t been made sooner. It was a lot of fun, but Anthopoulos said it took a while to sort out the payroll issues before another season that will surely be affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“At the start of the offseason there was a lot of uncertainty from a team payroll perspective and from an industry perspective,” he said. “When guys get to free agency, it takes time.”
Th Braves also had to consider whether the designated hitter would return to the NL for another season. Ozuna thrived in 2020 while serving primarily as DH. For now, that year-long experience is irrelevant after the players rejected a proposal to delay the start of the regular season.
Barring a change of course, Ozuna will leave for the Braves in left field, where his defensive limits will surely be in the spotlight.
Anthopoulos danced around this issue when asked if there were any concerns about Ozuna retaining a full-time defensive role.
“It feels like when Marcell is in left field he is solid,” said the general manager. “He worked hard with all of our coaches so that he can continue to be a great player offensively, defensively and directing goals.”
While Ozuna’s defense may be a problem, there’s no doubt about its impact on the Braves’ offense.
Beating behind Freddie Freeman, Ozuna was a primary reason the Atlanta first baseman won the NL MVP award.
If Ozuna had gone elsewhere, the Braves would have been left with a huge hole to fill. Now they return to a roster that includes four players who have hit double-digit homers in the 60-game season and have scored just one point behind the major league-leading Dodgers.
But Ozuna’s impact goes beyond his impressive numbers. He quickly became one of the Braves club’s most popular players, adding even more fire to a young and confident team with his various celebrations.
From her mantra of “mixing” to posing for a “selfie” on the basepaths after hitting a knockout homer, Ozuna’s flair was apparent almost every time.
After initially signing Ozuna to a one-year, $ 18 million contract, the Braves were willing to go long term to keep the 30-year-old in Atlanta.
“We needed this season to be comfortable giving him this type of contract,” said Anthopoulos. “Where we are as a team, where he is in his career, where we are with our core, he fits in really well.”
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
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