"Marcell Ozuna, 35, is a pure DH at this point in his career, which could complicate the Pirates' plans to use all of him, O'Hearn, and Spencer Horwitz slightly, but I think they were just in such desperate need of another bat that they'll figure it out later. Of course, it's possible Ozuna isn't a huge add at the plate anymore. He was a monster in 2023 and 2024 (.289/.364/.552/148 wRC+), but fell way back in 2025 (.232/.355/.400/114 wRC+)."
"In the end, it feels like the Pirates felt a little desperate to get SOME other bat after some notable whiffs lately, so they got one of the best remaining on the eve of Spring Training. It's a bump overall for their roster, and, like I said, with their pitching staff (super high upside, super high variance), the Pirates absolutely have the potential to compete in the NL Central in 2026 (especially if top prospect Konnor Griffin comes up and explodes)."
The Pittsburgh Pirates added Marcell Ozuna on a $12M deal pending a physical, giving the club another designated hitter option. Ozuna, 35, projects primarily as a DH and could create lineup-logistics issues with Ryan O'Hearn and Spencer Horwitz competing for at-bats. Ozuna produced elite numbers in 2023–24 but declined in 2025, still offering a usable bat in pinch-hit or DH roles. The Pirates also signed Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn in the offseason, improving offense incrementally. The pitching staff carries high upside and variance, and with prospects like Konnor Griffin, the team could contend in the NL Central in 2026.
Read at Bleacher Nation
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]