One of the more interesting questions the Atlanta Braves will face this offseason is whether or not to bring back Marcell Ozuna on a multi-year deal. Ozuna put together career-best marks in the shortened 60-game season but his value will diminish should the DH not stick around in the National League. That was a topic that was broached by MLB.com’s Mark Bowman in his first offseason mailbag. The thinking is that the Braves would be interested in keeping Ozuna only if the DH remains for 2021. If it doesn’t, then Atlanta may be forced to look elsewhere for an impact bat to add to the middle of the order.
One interesting target could be former Dodgers outfielder Joc Pederson who looks like he would be the perfect platoon candidate to pair with Adam Duvall in left field. As Bowman points out in his mailbag, acquiring Pederson wouldn’t be influenced by whether or not Ozuna returns as his asking price should be much lower.
The Braves will likely be on the hunt for a starting pitcher through the free agent market but how they fill out their lineup is going to be intriguing to watch.
More Braves News
Our roundtable series wraps up with a look at the upcoming offseason for the Braves and what areas they need to shore up.
SB Nation’s annual offseason simulation got underway earlier this week. Here is a look at the results.
The Athletic’s released their first MLB Power Rankings of the offseason and the Atlanta Braves are No. 2 behind the Los Angeles Dodgers.
2020 Season in Review
BBWAA Awards Week
Awards week continued Tuesday with the announcement of the winners of this year’s Manager of the Year Awards. Don Mattingly took home the award in the National League while Tampa’s Kevin Cash won in the American League.
MLB News
New Mets owner Steve Cohen and team president Sandy Alderson spoke to the media on Tuesday and laid out plans for how they will stir the franchise. Everything Cohen said had to sound like music to the ears of Mets fans as he indicated that the club will now operate like a major market team and that he will be disappointed if doesn’t win a World Series in the next three to five years. Alderson added that it is likely that manager Luis Rojas will return to manage the club in 2021.
New White Sox manager Tony La Russa was recently charged with suspicion of driving under the influence as a result of a traffic stop in February.
Former GM Jeff Luhnow filed a lawsuit against the Astros for breach of contract and is seeking more than $22 million.
Former outfielder Mac Williamson is suing the Giants over an incident in 2018 where he tripped over a bullpen mound and suffered a concussion. Williamson says that the lingering effects from that concussion effectively ended his career. The Giants moved the bullpen mounds behind the outfield wall prior to the 2020 season.
The Toronto Blue Jays are reportedly showing interest in free agent shortstop Andrelton Simmons.