The Pittsburgh Pirates have reached a one-year, $12 million agreement with seasoned slugger Marcell Ozuna, according to sources confirmed by ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
This agreement, which was initially reported on Monday by the New York Post, is subject to a physical examination and also features a mutual option for 2027, as per Passan’s sources.
Ozuna will receive $10.5 million in 2026, accompanied by a $16 million option for 2027 that includes a $1.5 million buyout, according to the reports.
The Pirates are looking to strengthen their offense, which only managed 117 home runs last season, the lowest total in the majors, with the addition of 35-year-old Ozuna.
Pittsburgh was previously linked to Kyle Schwarber, who re-signed with the Phillies, as well as Eugenio Suarez, who signed with the Diamondbacks earlier this offseason, before ultimately choosing Ozuna, who became a free agent after a challenging year with the Braves.
Playing exclusively as a designated hitter, Ozuna hit 21 home runs last season and posted a .756 OPS, a drop from his .925 OPS in 2024. although a down year, he had been a productive player with the Braves since joining the team in 2020, totaling 148 home runs—ranking 18th in baseball during that span and behind only Shohei Ohtani and Schwarber among designated hitters.
After signing with the Braves as a free agent in 2020 on a one-year contract, he achieved a career-high OPS of 1.067, then re-signed with Atlanta in 2021 for four years and $65 million with a club option for 2025. Ozuna boasts an impressive career, highlighted by three All-Star selections, two Silver Slugger awards, and one Gold Glove, alongside four MVP votes for the National League, with his highest finish being fourth in 2024.
Ozuna initially joined the Marlins in 2008, hitting the big leagues in 2013, and was traded to the Cardinals prior to the 2018 season in a deal that included prospects Sandy Alcantara (the 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner) and Zac Gallen (who has three top-10 finishes in Cy Young voting).
ESPN’s Kiley McDaniel contributed to this report.
