If Marcell Ozuna were coming off almost any season other than the one he endured in 2025, this winter might look very different. Instead of waiting by the phone while front offices hesitate, Ozuna could have been the most coveted designated hitter on the free-agent market — a proven power bat capable of changing the middle of a lineup overnight. But baseball is ruthless, and one down year, combined with age and timing, has turned a former All-Star into one of the most polarizing names of the offseason.
Around the league, teams are no longer whispering about Ozuna as a must-sign asset. They are debating whether he is worth the risk at all. The Atlanta Braves certainly tried to move on. Multiple trade attempts were made last season, sources confirmed, yet every potential deal collapsed. Ozuna refused to waive his rights, effectively keeping control over his destiny — and, in the process, trapping himself in a situation that benefited no one.
As Sports Illustrated’s Harrison Smajovits noted, the stalemate may not have been as simple as Ozuna blocking trades outright. Contract language, agent negotiations, and 10-and-5 rights all complicated the picture. Even if Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos was willing to deal, getting all sides to sign off proved nearly impossible. The result was a tense limbo that followed Ozuna through the rest of the season and into free agency.
Now, the reality is stark. Ozuna is older. His 2025 performance was underwhelming by nearly every metric teams care about. And the league itself is changing. Designated hitter spots are no longer automatic resting places for aging sluggers. More organizations are rotating younger bats through the DH role, valuing flexibility, athleticism, and upside over reputation. As HTHB’s Eric Cole bluntly put it, many of the teams once considered natural landing spots for Ozuna simply aren’t interested anymore.
That shift has left Ozuna in an uncomfortable position. His résumé still commands respect, but respect doesn’t guarantee contracts. Front offices see declining production, defensive limitations, and the risk that another down year could turn a short-term signing into a sunk cost. For a player who once looked untouchable, the silence has been deafening.
Yet all it takes is one team willing to gamble. According to FanSided’s Christopher Kline, the Cleveland Guardians could be that team. Fresh off an improbable late-season surge that carried them past the Detroit Tigers and into the AL Central title, Cleveland is firmly in win-now mode. They have young talent on the rise — Kyle Manzardo flashed promise as a rookie, while Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana loom as potential impact bats. What they lack is proven power protection behind José Ramírez.
That is where Ozuna enters the conversation. Even in a down year, he remains a hitter pitchers must respect. Inserting him into the heart of Cleveland’s lineup could force opponents to think twice about attacking Ramírez, and even a modest rebound could translate into a meaningful bump in run production. As Kline argued, this doesn’t need to be a long-term commitment. A one-year, low-risk deal could be exactly the kind of move that helps push a good team into October relevance.
From Cleveland’s perspective, the upside is obvious. The Guardians are playoff-caliber, but postseason baseball exposes lineup weaknesses quickly. Veteran presence matters in those moments, and Ozuna has seen it all — pressure, expectations, and failure. For a relatively young clubhouse, that experience carries weight beyond the box score.
For Ozuna, the motivation is even clearer. This isn’t about maximizing dollars anymore; it’s about rewriting the final chapter of his career. After a difficult 2025, he wants to prove he’s not finished, that one bad season doesn’t define him. A contending team offering a clean slate could be his last, best chance to do that.
Whether Cleveland ultimately pulls the trigger remains to be seen. But the mere fact that Ozuna is being discussed as a “low-risk flyer” rather than a headline free agent underscores how quickly fortunes can change in Major League Baseball. One year ago, this scenario would have seemed unthinkable. Now, it feels inevitable.
And somewhere between skepticism and opportunity lies the most intriguing question of the offseason: is Marcell Ozuna one swing away from redemption — or one signature away from becoming the cautionary tale every front office fears?
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