LOS ANGELES — As Major League Baseball’s winter market continues to twist and turn, one of the most unexpected storylines of the offseason has finally taken shape. Marcell Ozuna, a proven power bat navigating free agency after a down year, is signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers, a move that signals both urgency and ambition from a franchise unwilling to let its championship window narrow.
For Ozuna, this moment carries weight far beyond a routine contract agreement. It is his first trip through free agency since 2021, and it comes at a time when questions about age, decline, and fit surround him. At 35, Ozuna is no longer the MVP-caliber force he once was, but the Dodgers clearly believe there is still enough thunder left in his bat to matter — perhaps enough to tilt October.
“It’s an honor to become a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Ozuna said. “This is a place that has developed so many great players. I’m confident I can be a great player here and give everything I have for the Dodgers.”
Ozuna’s path to Los Angeles was anything but straightforward. Coming off a statistically down 2025 season, the market around him cooled quickly. His slash line dipped to .232/.355/.400, with 21 home runs and 68 RBIs, numbers that hardly scream “headline signing.” For some teams, that was enough to hesitate.
But context matters. Just one season earlier, across 2023 and 2024, Ozuna posted a dominant .289/.364/.552 slash line, re-establishing himself as one of the league’s most dangerous middle-of-the-order threats. The Dodgers, known for betting on track records over single-season noise, saw opportunity where others saw risk.
This wasn’t about finding a star. It was about finding impact.
For much of the offseason, Los Angeles had its eyes on bigger, flashier names. Kyle Tucker. Cody Bellinger. Both were widely linked to the Dodgers as potential additions to an outfield group that underperformed throughout 2025.
Neither deal materialized.
With spring training looming and the roster still incomplete, the Dodgers faced a familiar but uncomfortable reality: stand pat and hope internal options rebound, or pivot aggressively. The decision to bring in Ozuna represents that pivot — a calculated move by a front office that refuses to waste years with Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, and Freddie Freeman anchoring the core.
Tommy Edman, Andy Pages, and Teoscar Hernández all logged significant outfield time last season. Collectively, the production wasn’t enough. If Los Angeles is serious about becoming three-time World Series champions, incremental upgrades were no longer sufficient.
They needed a jolt.
No one inside the Dodgers organization is pretending this is a vintage version of Marcell Ozuna. His defense has declined, and his days as an everyday, above-average outfielder are likely behind him. But versatility still exists. Ozuna can spot-start in the outfield when needed and primarily serve as a designated hitter, a role tailor-made for extending his offensive value.
More importantly, he still brings power — and power travels in October.
Even in a down year, Ozuna’s 21 home runs represented legitimate slugging production. In a Dodgers lineup stacked with on-base threats, that power becomes magnified. One mistake pitch. One swing. One moment that can flip a playoff series.
That’s what Los Angeles is buying.
This signing isn’t flashy. It isn’t guaranteed. And it certainly isn’t without risk. But it sends a clear message: the Dodgers are not waiting around.
They missed on Tucker. They missed on Bellinger. Instead of retreating, they acted — targeting a veteran with something to prove and motivation to match. For Ozuna, this is more than a roster spot. It’s a chance to redefine how the final chapter of his career is written.
For the Dodgers, it’s another reminder that championships are rarely built on perfection — they’re built on bold decisions, timely gambles, and players who still believe their best moments are ahead.
As Ozuna arrives in Los Angeles, the question isn’t whether he can return to his peak. It’s whether he can deliver one more meaningful run when it matters most.
And if he does, this “pivot” could end up looking a lot like a masterstroke.
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