The Pirates have swung multiple major moves this winter to help push this team towards making the playoffs for 2026. Pittsburgh made another one on February 9, as former Brave Marcell Ozuna will look to solidify the DH spot on a one-year deal with the Pirates.
A Look at Ozuna
Former Brave Marcell Ozuna had two bad seasons in 2021 and 2022. Ozuna was hurt for a good chunk of the 2021 campaign, one that also saw him get arrested for domestic violence. A year later, Ozuna slashed .226/.274/.413 despite hitting 23 home runs.
But in 2023, things began to turn. Ozuna cut down on the swing-and-miss and went back to being one of baseball’s most feared sluggers. The ex-Brave hit 40 home runs in a bounce-back year in 2023, then tallied 39 more during the 2024 season.
However, Ozuna’s number dipped again in 2025, as the now-35-year-old slashed .232/.355/.400 with 21 home runs and 40 extra-base hits across 145 contests. His .400 slugging percentage was his lowest in a single season (not counting his shortened 2020 & 2021 seasons) since 2015.
It would be a good idea to note that Ozuna was not fully healthy last season. The right-handed power hitter missed time in April with a hip injury. Several months later, the team confirmed that Ozuna was playing through a tear in his hip.
But despite that, there were things to like in his game. Ozuna was still able to tear up fastballs, as he posted a sub-20% Whiff% and hit 12 of his 20 home runs off those pitchers. On the other hand, he posted sub-.200 averages on both breaking balls and offspeed stuff, even though the swing-and-miss rate was down.
The 35-year-old was still able to hit for power despite the bad hip. And on top of that, Ozuna was arguably the most disciplined he’s ever been at the MLB level. His 22.3% Chase% was the lowest of his MLB career (since Statcast tracking was implemented). Ozuna also walked 15.9% of the time, also a career best.
Defensively, the Braves shifted Ozuna to a full-time DH role in 2023, the second year that the designated hitter was in the National League. He last played the field in 2023.
Per the New York Post, the Pirates will give Marcell Ozuna a one-year deal worth $12MM.
Analysis
The Pirates have been more aggressive this offseason, in terms of trying to add power and run-scoring capability to a team filled with strong pitching. Pittsburgh previously added left-handed hitters Brandon Lowe & Ryan O’Hearn.
Now, the Pirates have Ozuna, a proven power hitter who will look for better after an injury-riddled 2025 season.
With those three former All-Stars, Pittsburgh’s lineup looks nearly night and day compared to 2025. The Pirates leaned heavily on Oneil Cruz and Bryan Reynolds, both of whom had down seasons. Now, those two, as well as Spencer Horwitz, will have some protection thanks to the new three bats.
It’s a win-now approach for a Pirates team that has financial flexibility now, at least on paper. Pittsburgh doesn’t have a lot of payroll dedicated to the rotation. Mitch Keller is on a good deal, while Bubba Chandler, Hunter Barco, and Paul Skenes are on pre-arbitration contracts.
However, with Skenes set to walk into his first year of arbitration after 2026 — and with his resume — the Pirates will have to commit more resources to him for 2027 & beyond.
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