One of the most difficult decisions that the Atlanta Braves made in the 2026 offseason was opting to let Marcell Ozuna walk away in free agency.
Ozuna was coming off an underwhelming season, offering only a .232 average and regressing power numbers. This was after back-to-back seasons of driving in 100 or more runs and being a force in the middle of Atlanta's offense. So often it felt as if Ozuna was fueling the Braves' lineup as the team dealt with a myriad of injuries over the past three seasons.
Still, letting Ozuna walk away appeared to be the right move and has unquestionably aged well.
Ozuna signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on a one-year, $12.5 million contract back in February. The veteran designated hitter has rewarded this with an awful start to the 2026 season, proving that the Braves were right to turn the page.
Marcell Ozuna's Slow Start Justifies the Braves' Split
Through 35 plate appearances with the Pirates, Ozuna is slashing an abysmal .065/.171/.065 with four walks and eight strikeouts. His 85.1 mph average exit velocity is a new career-low performance, and even below the MLB average (88.4 mph).
Meanwhile, the Braves are thriving without carrying a player unable to play in the field. Atlanta can keep its star hitters fresh and build lineups around the opposing pitcher, who could use a day off from the field. Ozuna's lack of offensive production is simply the cherry on top that points to a front office that has made winning moves.
Pittsburgh is stuck with Ozuna due to a hefty contract that Atlanta was wise not to hand out. The Braves instead found cheap depth that is already offering far more production than Ozuna is giving his new team. Dominic Smith is a perfect example of this, putting up far better numbers (.292/.346/.542 with two home runs and six RBIs) in the first weeks of the season and doing so on a contract worth $1.2 million.
While there is plenty of time remaining for Ozuna to turn things around this season, the veteran is 35 and clearly has been inconsistent over the last two seasons. While fans have no reason to take joy in Ozuna's failures, it does serve as evidence that Atlanta's front office remains locked in on when to move on from aging players.
The former Braves DH is simply the latest example of perfect timing for a front office that is watching its 2026 offseason moves age well early this season.