*Photo from CBS Sports*
The Atlanta Braves have signed OF Marcell Ozuna to a one year, $18 million deal, according to the team. There are no options or incentives included in Ozuna's deal. Ozuna will likely become the everyday left fielder in Atlanta. Ozuna's power bat can compensate for the loss of Josh Donaldson hitting wise, though Donaldson is a better defender at 3rd base then Ozuna is in left field. He'll join a Braves outfield that includes Ronald Acuna Jr, Nick Markakis, and Ender Inciarte.
Ozuna played for the St.Louis Cardinals last season, hitting .241 with 29 homers and 89 RBI to go along with 12 stolen bases. Ozuna is a career .272 hitter with 148 homers and 538 RBI in 7 major league seasons. He spent 5 of those 7 years with the Miami Marlins, while he spent the last two years with the Cardinals. He won a silver slugger in 2017, hitting .312 with 37 homers and 124 RBI in his last season with the Marlins. Ozuna's defense has always been a problem, and he dropped to -8 runs saved last season, one of the lowest marks by a major league outfielder.
The Cardinals extended Ozuna the $17.9 million qualifying offer after the world series ended, which Ozuna declined. Since he declined it, he became attached to draft pick compensation if he signed somewhere other than St.Louis. The Braves will forfeit the 99th pick in the draft, and the Cardinals will receive a compensation pick. The addition gives the Braves an opening day payroll in between $145 and $150 million if they don't sign anyone else. That would be the largest opening day payroll in team history. The Cardinals, Texas Rangers, Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks, and the Chicago White Sox were other teams in pursuit of Ozuna this winter.
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