The Pirates have agreed to terms with free‑agent slugger Marcell Ozuna on a one‑year, $12 million contract, per source. The deal is pending a physical and has a $16 million mutual option for 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. Ozuna will make $10.5 million this year.
The move comes just a day after Andrew McCutchen publicly expressed on social media that he wanted to return for another season in Pittsburgh.
Instead, the Pirates chose Ozuna, who hasn’t been a regular defender in years. He logged zero defensive innings in 2024 and 2025, appeared in left field only twice in 2023, and played just 52 games in left in 2022. Atlanta treated him strictly as a bat‑only player, and the Pirates are likely committing to the same model.
That decision triggers immediate ripple effects. With Ozuna locked into DH, Ryan O’Hearn becomes the roster hinge. He’ll need to handle either left field or first base, which pushes Jake Mangum and Spencer Horwitz into platoon or part‑time roles. The Pirates are effectively trading defensive flexibility for a more imposing middle‑of‑the‑order presence.
In 2024, Ozuna delivered one of the best offensive seasons of his career, slashing .302/.378/.546 with a .925 OPS and 154 OPS+, while launching 39 home runs with 104 RBIs and posting 4.3 bWAR / 4.7 fWAR.
Last season marked a clear step back, as he played through a hip injury and posted a .232/.355/.400 line (.756 OPS, 113 OPS+) with 21 home runs, 68 RBIs, 61 runs, 19 doubles, and 144 strikeouts, worth 1.6 bWAR and 1.2 fWAR. ZiPS expects a modest rebound in 2026, projecting 25 homers, 76 RBIs, and 1.8 WAR across 138 games.
THE ASYLUM
Source: Pirates, Ozuna agree to one-year contract
The Pirates have agreed to terms with free‑agent slugger Marcell Ozuna on a one‑year, $12 million contract, per source. The deal is pending a physical and has a $16 million mutual option for 2027 with a $1.5 million buyout. Ozuna will make $10.5 million this year.
The move comes just a day after Andrew McCutchen publicly expressed on social media that he wanted to return for another season in Pittsburgh.
Instead, the Pirates chose Ozuna, who hasn’t been a regular defender in years. He logged zero defensive innings in 2024 and 2025, appeared in left field only twice in 2023, and played just 52 games in left in 2022. Atlanta treated him strictly as a bat‑only player, and the Pirates are likely committing to the same model.
That decision triggers immediate ripple effects. With Ozuna locked into DH, Ryan O’Hearn becomes the roster hinge. He’ll need to handle either left field or first base, which pushes Jake Mangum and Spencer Horwitz into platoon or part‑time roles. The Pirates are effectively trading defensive flexibility for a more imposing middle‑of‑the‑order presence.
In 2024, Ozuna delivered one of the best offensive seasons of his career, slashing .302/.378/.546 with a .925 OPS and 154 OPS+, while launching 39 home runs with 104 RBIs and posting 4.3 bWAR / 4.7 fWAR.
Last season marked a clear step back, as he played through a hip injury and posted a .232/.355/.400 line (.756 OPS, 113 OPS+) with 21 home runs, 68 RBIs, 61 runs, 19 doubles, and 144 strikeouts, worth 1.6 bWAR and 1.2 fWAR. ZiPS expects a modest rebound in 2026, projecting 25 homers, 76 RBIs, and 1.8 WAR across 138 games.
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