Jon ConahanWed, November 26, 2025 at 6:09 PM UTC·2 min readBraves' Marcell Ozuna could revive power numbers by signing with NL playoff contender originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Atlanta Braves will be saying goodbye to some of the top players on their roster during the offseason, with three-time All-Star Marcell Ozuna likely being one of them.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIt was surprising that Alex Anthopoulos didn’t trade Ozuna at the deadline, but they decided to keep him, and he played in 145 games and hit just 21 home runs.
That was the fewest of Ozuna’s career in any season in which he’s played more than 48 games since the 2015 season with the Miami Marlins.
Searching for a landing spot for the right-handed hitter’s services, Jordan Leandre of Just Baseball proposed an intriguing one, suggesting that the Cincinnati Reds could be in the mix.
“It’s no mystery the Reds are hot in their pursuit of offense, but it’s hard to see how rewarded they’ll be for their efforts this winter...
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement“It doesn’t just make sense for them, though, as Great American Ball Park makes a lot of sense for Ozuna also. The slugger hit 21 home runs this past season, but Statcast says he’d have had 24 in Cincinnati. Dubbed with the nickname of “Great American Small Park,” the Reds are a safe haven for offensive production, making them an attractive destination,” he wrote.
As Leandre touched on, there’s reason to believe that not only would this deal make sense for Ozuna if he wants to regain his value, but Great American Ball Park would also give him a very good opportunity to hit a ton of home runs.
Statcast says he would have hit 24 last year in Cincinnati, but if his power ever gets back to what it once was, he could realistically be a 40-plus home run hitter again.
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