There have been whispers that the Braves may try to break ways with Marcell Ozuna.
While Ozuna has faced controversy in the past, he has emerged as a key member of one of the most formidable lineups of the twenty-first century.
However, at age 33, Ozuna may begin to decline in the near future, leaving a significant hole in the Braves’ lineup. This has sparked rumors that the Braves may move on from him. But does this make sense for Atlanta?
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In the larger scheme of things, it probably won’t. Ozuna is in the penultimate year of his contract and has a club option for 2025, so he may not be much more than a rental. As previously said, he is 33 years old, which suggests that his peak years may be behind him.As Kris Willis of Battery Powered pointed out, trading Ozuna may not be the best option for the Braves.
“I know there’s been a lot of talk about this, but I don’t get the impression that the Braves want to subtract. I don’t think there is any way to forecast what Marcell Ozuna will produce this season, but they have kept faith in him despite his on-field troubles in 2021 and 2022, as well as his off-field issues. That paid off handsomely for them last year, as he had one of his best seasons yet.
With a lower trade value than his on-field performance suggests, Atlanta’s decision to move on would be questionable. The loss of a 40-home run hitter from your lineup may pose more problems than Atlanta fans want to believe. There’s a reason the Braves chose to continue with him despite the controversy and punishment. Expect them to react similarly in the face of these rumors.
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MLB Rumors: Cubs-Bellinger confidence increases, Astros want star, and the Cardinals make unusual transaction
Cardinals make unusual trade, sending James Naile to KBO
The St. Louis Cardinals had a productive offseason, despite the unusual circumstances. However, with John Mozeliak promising what appeared to be significant swings in free agency and maybe on the trade market, the Redbirds have upgraded the roster, albeit not dramatically outside of Sonny Gray, with Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn joining the rotation.
Mozeliak and the Cardinals made their most unusual move of the winter, late Thursday night or early Friday morning, despite ongoing questions about their offseason approach.
The Cardinals announced via transaction wire that they had “transferred” (or dealt) 30-year-old right-hander James Naile to the KIA Tigers of the Korean Baseball Organization (KBO). In exchange, St. Louis will receive financial consideration.
To be clear, Naile’s departure does not represent significant damage to the Cardinals pitching staff. He has only appeared in the majors twice in his career: in 2022 and 2023. Over that time, the right-hander has only appeared in 17 games, posting a 7.40 ERA, 5.17 FIP, and 1.89 WHIP. That is not exactly a pillar of the bullpen that St. Louis will send to the KBO.
That, however, does not affect the strange nature of the commerce. While clubs frequently sign Japanese and Korean players to free agent contracts when they are agreed to be posted, seeing an ostensible trade with a KBO or NPB team is extremely rare, adding another intriguing twist to the Cardinals’ offseason.
