Marcell Ozuna?

[adambr2]

https://wisportsheroics.com/brewers-rumored-to-be-targeting-marcell-ozuna/

 

Brewers rumored to be interested in Marcell Ozuna.

[ThisIsMyCrew]

To make the money work you’d have to part with a larger contract (yelich, cain or García) in all likelihood. Also, move makes no sense unless there is a for sure DH for the next 4 years. He is Horrid on defense.

 

Would LOVE having him behind yelich in the lineup!

[AJOHNSON104]

What amazes me is his Gold Glove. Just shows how the voting for that is really about offense and popularity. I actually enjoyed watching games he was in the outfield to watch his horrible defense and laugh. With that said, he appears to be an above average hitter/ slugger, but only posted an OPS above .800 twice and one was the short season. I'd be worried about any long term deal due to the inability for the Brewers to move on if he's just an average player.

[JohnBriggs12]

Ozuna had arm or shoulder issue that limited him defensively when he went to Cardinals. But he might be the best bat out there regardless of position and would immediately boost the Brewers lineup. Garcia is a decent enough athlete to handle the switch to first base though I would not rule out dealing Cain and taking on an equally hefty salary back. Maybe Cain for Kyle Seager?

[markedman5]

Garcia at first is a waste of an excellent outfielder.

 

Yelich or Ozuna at first would be more likely.

 

DH might also still be in the cards.

[sveumrules]

From 2018-20, Ozuna posted a +4 DRS/+6.9 UZR in 2,557 innings compared to -5 DRS/+2.7 UZR in 1,989 innings for Avisail & -7 DRS/-0.9 UZR in 2,793 innings for Yelich.

 

When Marcell won the GG in 2017 he posted +7 DRS/+3.1 UZR, both of which were 2nd among qualified NL LF behind only Adam Duvall at +11 DRS/+4.9 UZR.

 

Ozuna has played 69 of his 991 career games against the Brewers, so while we may have observed around 7% of his career outfield play we have not observed the other 93%.

[MrTPlush]

Avisail Garcia is not an excellent fielder...he is okay, but hardly something I’d id consider positive. If is better than Ozuna it ain’t by much. I’m guessing the difference in 1B defense would be the bigger deal. Garcia is a much bigger target at 3 inches taller...so there is that.

[Ron Robinsons Beard]

Avisail Garcia is not an excellent fielder...he is okay, but hardly something I’d id consider positive. If is better than Ozuna it ain’t by much. I’m guessing the difference in 1B defense would be the bigger deal. Garcia is a much bigger target at 3 inches taller...so there is that.

 

The actual recent numbers seem to indicate otherwise ... that Garcia is actually very good, and Ozuna is quite bad. Remember that he played the majority of 2020 in CF for the Brewers, but was signed to play RF, where his smaller range and big arm would play much better.

 

I agree with the above poster that would tune into Braves and Cardinals games the last couple years just to see Ozuna play the OF. He's that bad. It isn't that he doesn't have the athleticism, either. Yeah, he's had some injuries that have hindered him out there, but his instincts are poor too. He isn't Domingo Santana bad, but that is a pretty low bar to limbo under.

[JosephC]

I can't find a link, but I think Hector Gomez has been the source of wild and false rumors regarding Ozuna in past off-seasons.

[RollieTime]

We seem to have this discussion every year, but the playing time will sort itself out anyway. Cain will need 15+ maintenance days, Garcia and Yelich will need a few games off, injuries arise. Yelich, Cain, and Ozuna will all have 500+ at bats if healthy. Garcia or Ozuna could play a few games at first to keep their bat in the lineup.

[StearnsFTW]

Gross.

 

Edit: unless there's a DH, then its ok i guess. Still wouldn't like it.

[monty57]

We seem to have this discussion every year, but the playing time will sort itself out anyway. Cain will need 15+ maintenance days, Garcia and Yelich will need a few games off, injuries arise. Yelich, Cain, and Ozuna will all have 500+ at bats if healthy. Garcia or Ozuna could play a few games at first to keep their bat in the lineup.

 

Right, but our opening day roster would have an eight-digit free agent signing (Ozuna or Garcia) sitting on the bench while we run Vogelbach out there at first base and Urias as our starting third baseman and Arcia at Shortstop.

 

I don't get signing an expensive fourth outfielder to cover our starters' off days when our obvious areas of need are at the corner infield positions. I also don't like throwing someone in a position they don't play just to keep their bat in the lineup. Our defense will be bad enough this year, especially if we sign Ozuna. We can't just randomly put outfielders at first base. If we spend money on Ozuna, we'd better have a DH. Even then, it means Vogelbach is our everyday first baseman. Our pitchers better get a lot of strikeouts if he's at first, Hiura's at second and Ozuna is anywhere in the outfield.

 

The bright spot to this for me (if it's true) is that Ozuna was projected by MLBTraderumors to get a 4 year / $72M contract. If we're even mildly interested in Ozuna, it means that there is money to sign some players. I'd just prefer we focus on our needs rather than signing a shiny new square peg and cramming it into a round hole.

[JohnBriggs12]

We seem to have this discussion every year, but the playing time will sort itself out anyway. Cain will need 15+ maintenance days, Garcia and Yelich will need a few games off, injuries arise. Yelich, Cain, and Ozuna will all have 500+ at bats if healthy. Garcia or Ozuna could play a few games at first to keep their bat in the lineup.

 

Right, but our opening day roster would have an eight-digit free agent signing (Ozuna or Garcia) sitting on the bench while we run Vogelbach out there at first base and Urias as our starting third baseman and Arcia at Shortstop.

 

I don't get signing an expensive fourth outfielder to cover our starters' off days when our obvious areas of need are at the corner infield positions. I also don't like throwing someone in a position they don't play just to keep their bat in the lineup. Our defense will be bad enough this year, especially if we sign Ozuna. We can't just randomly put outfielders at first base. If we spend money on Ozuna, we'd better have a DH. Even then, it means Vogelbach is our everyday first baseman. Our pitchers better get a lot of strikeouts if he's at first, Hiura's at second and Ozuna is anywhere in the outfield.

 

The bright spot to this for me (if it's true) is that Ozuna was projected by MLBTraderumors to get a 4 year / $72M contract. If we're even mildly interested in Ozuna, it means that there is money to sign some players. I'd just prefer we focus on our needs rather than signing a shiny new square peg and cramming it into a round hole.

 

Sure they could divvy up that money for lesser hitters that fill positions of need, but the real need is for better offense regardless of where it comes from. When you pay journeymen who's best years are average for their position are you really boosting the total team offense? If they don't all have close to their best years, probably not. They tried that last year. I'd have no problem with Garcia being a backup despite his salary or working on a position switch to first base. He's certainly built more like a first baseman than a center fielder. Further the Brewers probably know more about the DH returning than they are letting on.

[DR28]

This Ozuna interest just hit an all new interesting since DH isnt coming to NL.

[monty57]

This Ozuna interest just hit an all new interesting since DH isnt coming to NL.

 

It is possible that the interest arose after MLB made the proposal to add the DH in exchange for expanded playoffs, and the interest will go away with the union nixing that deal.

[DR28]

This Ozuna interest just hit an all new interesting since DH isnt coming to NL.

 

It is possible that the interest arose after MLB made the proposal to add the DH in exchange for expanded playoffs, and the interest will go away with the union nixing that deal.

 

But early in the offseason, Manfred told all teams to assume there would be no DH, so that already had to be in the back of DS mind we wouldnt have the DH.

[adambr2]

There's been no final decision on DH not coming to the NL for 2021. Both sides have a preference for the DH.

[TURBO]

It's so ridiculous that this isn't decided yet. I can't believe that GMs aren't having an up-rise since it is pretty important in how they plan their teams for 2021.

[markedman5]

It's so ridiculous that this isn't decided yet. I can't believe that GMs aren't having an up-rise since it is pretty important in how they plan their teams for 2021.

 

If the MLB and the MLBPA went to a party at the playboy mansion and arrived at the same time......they would spend hours arguing about who gets to go in first......

[JohnBriggs12]

It's so ridiculous that this isn't decided yet. I can't believe that GMs aren't having an up-rise since it is pretty important in how they plan their teams for 2021.

 

That's why it hasn't been decided. Owners are using the universal DH as a chip to get expanded playoffs which players believe hurts their value. Neither side has the good of the game as it's primary concern. That's where we're at in 2021. It's going to take the owners being confident they can get enough fans in the stands in April to make it more palatable. Nobody seems sure whether it's going to be 5,000 or 15,000 initially.