The San Diego Padres get good news on the potential addition of an Atlanta Braves slugger at the trade deadline.
While the San Diego Padres might not land Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, their odds of landing another top offensive addition got a lot higher after a new report.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, the Padres and any other interested team got a positive update on the availability of Atlanta Braves designated hitter Marcell Ozuna.
"Atlanta DH Marcell Ozuna," Nightengale writes, "who has 10-and-5 rights and can veto any trade, is now expected to approve any deal if the team guarantees him everyday playing time. He recently lost his starting job with Atlanta."
Ozuna has 10-5 rights, meaning he could veto any trade he's involved in if he wanted. But, this report from Nightengale makes it clear: Ozuna is open to a trade if he gets the starting job.
For the Padres, who are looking for an everyday slugger for either their designated hitter or left field spot, Ozuna could plug in very easily into the everyday lineup.
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Gavin Sheets could stay in left field, while Ozuan would take over at designated hitter, and the Padres would add a much-needed boost to the offense this season. He's also a rental and wouldn't cost the team a lot at the deadline.
Through his 95 games in 2025, Ozuna has a .232 batting average, 13 home runs, 42 RBIs, 11 doubles, and a .742 OPS. While a decent bit lower than his 2024 (.924) and 2023 (.904) OPSs, the production from Ozuna is still positive.
If he joined the Padres, he would have the third-best OPS on the team behind only Fernando Tatis Jr. and Manny Machado. He'd be a great addition to the offense, and if he could get back to form from the past two seasons, he'd be an incredible presence in the lineup.
San Diego needs to add more offense, and Ozuna could be a great option. With this report from Nightengale, the chances of a deal look a lot better than they did previously.
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Category: Baseball
