Braves say goodbye to Marcell Ozuna following his signing with the Pirates

The Atlanta Braves said goodbye to longtime designated hitter Marcell Ozuna. Jon Heyman of the New York Post last week reported that Ozuna signed a one-year deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates that includes a mutual option for 2027.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan shared more details, reporting that Ozuna will earn $10.5 million in 2026. The 2027 option is worth $16 million, with a $1.5 million buyout, guaranteeing him at least $12 million overall.

The Braves’ official X (formerly Twitter) account posted a tribute, thanking him for six seasons, highlighted by his MVP-level 2024 season with 39 home runs and a .302/.378/.546 slash line.

“On behalf of Braves Country, thank you, Big Bear,” they wrote, with a bear emoji.

On behalf of #BravesCountry, thank you Big Bear pic.twitter.com/wwyeJpTZjo

— Atlanta Braves (@Braves) February 17, 2026

Ozuna battled a hip injury for much of the 2025 season, which hurt his performance. Over 145 games, he hit .232 with a .756 OPS, 21 home runs, and 68 RBIs. While these numbers show a drop from previous seasons, they don’t tell the full story of what affected his play.

In June and July, he hit just .181 with a .615 OPS. Aside from a brief surge in early August, his performance stayed at that level for much of the season.

The Braves chose not to re-sign the 35-year-old after six seasons with the organization. Ozuna played for them from 2020 to 2025, hitting .265 with an .836 OPS, 148 home runs, and 410 RBIs. He earned MVP votes twice, including a fourth-place finish during his All-Star 2024 season.

Atlanta will not have a full-time designated hitter in 2026. Instead, they’ll rotate players between their usual positions and the DH spot to allow flexibility in Walt Weiss’s lineup.

Mike Yastrzemski and Jurickson Profar are expected to take on much of the DH role while also playing in the outfield. This setup lets Weiss give Ronald Acuna Jr. and Michael Harris II partial rest in the field while keeping their bats in the lineup.

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