Now Reading: Pirates release Marcell Ozuna after 70-game slump
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Pirates release Marcell Ozuna after 70-game slump
The Pittsburgh Pirates have released designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, according to MLB insider Mike Rodriguez, months after signing him to a one-year, $12 million contract. The 35-year-old batted.203 with eight home runs…
The Story in Brief
The Pittsburgh Pirates have released designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, according to MLB insider Mike Rodriguez, months after signing him to a one-year, $12 million contract. The 35-year-old batted.203 with eight home runs and 29 RBIs in 70 games, finishing with minus-1.0 WAR, according to Baseball Reference.
Ozuna’s playing time fell as his form faded, and his final appearance came against Cincinnati on Saturday. Pittsburgh promoted 26-year-old switch-hitting utility player Ronny Simon from Triple-A Indianapolis to fill the roster spot. Simon leads the International League with a.330 average and has a.889 OPS this season, according to the report. Ozuna leaves with 304 career home runs and three All-Star selections.
The Indian Opinion
The easy story is that one poor spell erased Ozuna’s established record, while the opposite claim would blame the Pirates for giving up too soon. The available numbers support a simpler reading: a.203 average, eight homers and minus-1.0 WAR made the $12 million deal hard to justify, especially as his role shrank. Simon’s.330 average offers a clear replacement test, but major league performance will decide whether this was sound roster management.
Source: hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
