The Pittsburgh Pirates are betting on a veteran bat to transform their struggling offense, finalizing a one-year contract worth $12 million with slugger Marcell Ozuna. The agreement includes a mutual option for 2027, offering both sides flexibility as the franchise attempts to capitalize on its emerging young core.
Pittsburgh will pay Marcell Ozuna $10.5 million for the 2026 season, with a $16 million mutual option for 2027 that carries a $1.5 million buyout. The deal remains contingent on Ozuna passing his physical examination later this offseason.
Pirates Address Glaring Power Shortage
The move addresses Pittsburgh’s most glaring weakness from last season. The Pirates managed just 117 home runs in 2025, finishing dead last across Major League Baseball in that category. Adding Ozuna represents a calculated gamble that his track record of power production can jumpstart an anemic lineup desperate for run support.
Pittsburgh has orchestrated an unusually aggressive winter, previously acquiring All-Star second baseman Brandon Lowe through trade and signing versatile first baseman Ryan O’Hearn. Moves involving players like Caleb Durbin reflect a broader organizational push toward balance. The front office clearly recognizes the urgency to surround reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes and a promising young pitching staff with legitimate offensive firepower.
Ozuna Seeks Bounce-back Campaign
The 35-year-old designated hitter arrives in Pittsburgh following a disappointing 2025 campaign with Atlanta. Working exclusively as a DH, Ozuna managed only 21 home runs while posting a .756 OPS, a significant decline from his .925 mark the previous year. Despite the downturn, his overall production with the Braves since 2020 remains impressive, with 148 total home runs ranking 18th in baseball during that span and trailing only Shohei Ohtani and Kyle Schwarber among designated hitters.
Ozuna brings decorated credentials to western Pennsylvania. His resume includes three All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger awards, one Gold Glove, and four separate seasons receiving National League MVP consideration, highlighted by a fourth-place finish in 2024.
Challenges Ahead at PNC Park
Pittsburgh’s front office acknowledges one concerning statistical quirk. Ozuna has posted abysmal numbers at PNC Park throughout his career, hitting just .225 with a single home run across 36 games at the ballpark notoriously difficult for right-handed batters. Still, team evaluators view his track record, plate discipline, and power profile as indicators that regression toward career norms remains a realistic outcome. The organization believes his experience and adjustments can overcome these historical struggles.
The signing provides crucial right-handed balance to a lineup dominated by left-handed hitters. Lowe, O’Hearn and outfielder Oneil Cruz all bat from the left side, while Bryan Reynolds offers switch-hitting versatility. Ozuna‘s right-handed presence should help Pittsburgh navigate matchups more effectively throughout the grueling 162-game schedule.
McCutchen Era Potentially Ending
Landing Ozuna likely signals the end of an era for Pittsburgh baseball. Franchise icon Andrew McCutchen, who turns 39 this year, remains unsigned after hitting .239 with 13 home runs while serving primarily as the designated hitter last season. The five-time All-Star and 2013 NL MVP has spent 12 of his 17 major league seasons with the Pirates, cementing his legacy as one of the organization’s greatest players.
Before finalizing the Ozuna agreement, Pittsburgh pursued other veteran options including Schwarber, who re-signed with Philadelphia, and Eugenio Suarez, who joined Arizona.
Ozuna originally signed with Miami in 2008, debuting in the majors five years later. He joined Atlanta as a free agent in 2020 on a one-year deal, posted a career-best 1.067 OPS, then inked a four-year, $65 million extension with a club option for 2025. His 2018 trade from Miami to St. Louis included prospects Sandy Alcantara, who captured the 2022 NL Cy Young Award, and Zac Gallen, who has earned three top-10 Cy Young finishes.
Spring training begins later this week when pitchers and catchers report to Bradenton, Florida, where Ozuna will begin his journey toward proving he remains a productive major league hitter.
Source: ESPN
