Atlanta Braves fans may have seen the last of slugger Marcell Ozuna in a Braves uniform.
On Friday, Ozuna was arrested for driving while under the influence and brought to Gwinnett County Jail in Georgia.
The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal reported on Saturday that the Braves were waiting for the legal process to be resolved before determining Ozuna’s future with the team. But Rosenthal also said that he expects a certain decision to be made swiftly thereafter.
“I would expect the Braves to act and to release [Ozuna],” Rosenthal said during FOX Sports MLB’s Saturday pregame show. “And the reason is, he was not contributing to their team really in any meaningful way, not really in any way at all.”
Once the legal process plays out, @Ken_Rosenthal said he expects the #Braves to release Marcell Ozuna following his DUI arrest.
Ozuna is owed $41 million through 2024 and has batted .214 with 27 HR, a .653 OPS and -1.4 WAR since the start of 2021 (155 G).pic.twitter.com/G9hDrjnlyj
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) August 20, 2022
Rosenthal also pointed out that Ozuna was not part of the Braves’ World Series championship roster last year, and did not play in the team’s recent four-game series with the New York Mets prior to his arrest.
Friday’s incident was Ozuna’s second arrest within the last 15 months. In May 2021, he was charged with aggravated assault by strangulation and battery, and was retroactively suspended for 20 games.
Perhaps Ozuna’s second arrest will be the final straw for Atlanta, but his lack of production on the field since 2021 probably does not help his case either.
Ozuna has hit .214 with 27 home runs and 72 RBI in his last 155 games. He is owed $41 million through 2024. The Braves could be more than willing to eat that money in order to get Ozuna off of their roster.
