ATLANTA: Now that he’s locked in the Atlanta Braves, Marcell Ozuna couldn’t resist a good mood with general manager Alex Anthopoulos.
“Alex, I have a question for you,” Ozuma told Anthopoulos as the two participated in a Zoom call on Saturday. “Why didn’t you sign me at the end of the season?”
Instead, the Braves waited up to a couple of weeks before spring training began to reach a four-year, $ 64 million deal with a slugger who has just missed the National League Triple Crown. during the abbreviated 2020 season.
The return of Ozuna ensures that the Braves, who have won three consecutive NL East titles, continue to be one of the best contenders for the championship heading into a new season.
A year ago they won a World Series victory, losing to eventual Los Angeles Dodgers champions in a seven-game NL Championship Series after wasting a 3-1 lead.
Now, having bolstered their rotation with free agent signings Charlie Morton and Drew Smyly, they have assured that their powerful line-up will return virtually intact in 2021.
“We have a very good club,” Anthopoulos said. “We have a club in the World Series category. We need things to go well, etc., but everyone on the list believes we are capable of winning the World Series.”
The Braves knew they wanted to get Ozuna back, who led the National League with 18 homers and 56 RBI and finished third in the batting average at .338, but it took them a while to make their move after quickly signing Morton and Smyly to a year. offers at the start of the free agency.
Just days before the deal with the Braves ended Friday, Ozuna hoped to play elsewhere in 2021. She had a Tampa Bay Rays offer, but resisted for something better.
Finally, the Braves jumped into the mix.
It only took a day to reach an agreement.
“We didn’t talk about contract until a day or two ago,” Anthopoulos said. “It was done very quickly.”
Ozuna, never shy of expressing her opinion, jumped to wonder why the deal hadn’t been made before. It was all a lot of fun, but Anthopoulos said it took a while to resolve payroll considerations ahead of another season that will surely be affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
“At the start of the offseason, there was a lot of uncertainty from the team payroll standpoint and from the industry standpoint,” he said. “When the guys get to free agency, it takes time.”
Th Braves also had to consider whether the designated hitter would return to the National League for another season. Ozuna thrived in 2020 while serving primarily as a DH. For now, the one-year experiment is off the table after players rejected the proposal to delay the start of the regular season.
Unless there is a change of direction, Ozuna will start with the Braves on the left field, where their defensive limitations will surely be in the spotlight.
Anthopoulos danced around this issue when asked if there was any concern about Ozuna maintaining a full-time defensive role.
“We feel that when Marcell is on the left field, he’s solid,” the GM said. “He has worked hard with all of our coaches so that he can continue to be a great player offensively, defensively and leading the bases.”
While Ozuna’s defense could be a problem, there is no doubt about his impact on the Braves ’offense.
Behind Freddie Freeman, Ozuna was one of the main reasons Atlanta’s first baseman won the NV MVP award.
If Ozuna had gone elsewhere, the Braves would have been left with a huge hole to fill. Now, they are back in a lineup that includes four players who achieved the double-digit victory in the 60-game season and scored just one throw less than the league’s top Dodgers.
But Ozuna’s impact goes beyond his impressive numbers. He quickly became one of the Braves club’s most popular players, adding even more fire to a young and confident team with his various celebrations.
From his mantra of “mixing it up” to posing for a “selfie” on the basics after hitting a playoff at home, Ozuna’s appearance was almost always evident.
After initially signing Ozuna with a $ 18 million one-year deal, the Braves were willing to go long-term to keep the 30-year-old in Atlanta.
“We needed this season to feel comfortable giving him that kind of contract,” Anthopoulos said. “Where we are as a team, where it is in its career, where we are with our core, it fits very well.”
The information from The Associated Press was used in this report.