Marcell Ozuna's top potential landing spots in MLB free agency

After coming of age perhaps a year earlier than some expected, the White Sox feel like a team primed to make a major addition this offseason. We've already suggested they could be a fit for Trevor Bauer or George Springer, though it's hard to know if they're the most likely landing spot for either. With Eloy Jiménez in left field, the White Sox would probably prefer an outfielder capable of playing right field on a consistent basis, a bill that Ozuna probably doesn't fit at this stage of his career. Still, he could DH, and adding him into a lineup that already includes José Abreu, Luis Robert, Tim Anderson and Yasmani Grandal could make the White Sox the favorite to win a crowded AL Central in 2021.

From here, the guess is that Ozuna won't return to Atlanta because the organization has had so much success at finding position players on the rebound without making long-term commitments. That said, if the Braves were going to make a long-term commitment to anyone, Ozuna would seemingly be a tremendous candidate. While Freeman is likely to win the NL MVP, Ozuna is headed for a finish in the top 10, if not higher. The Braves had a 3-1 lead in the NL Championship Series and finished within a victory of reaching the World Series. One could understand if they feel an urge to run it back in 2021. The question is whether the Braves would feel comfortable having Ozuna play left field on an everyday basis, as he played in just 19 games at the position in 2020, when the DH was universal.

Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors normally makes pretty accurate free-agent predictions, and he projected that Ozuna will land with the Nationals on a four-year, $72-million deal. From a lineup perspective, Ozuna is a nearly perfect fit, as the Nationals have lost Bryce Harper and Anthony Rendon in consecutive offseasons. That caught up to the Nationals in 2020, when they finished in a tie for last place in the NL East. Adding Ozuna into a lineup that includes Soto and Trea Turner would alleviate some of the pressure on those two to carry a big workload. The question is whether there will be a DH in the NL in 2021, because Soto is entrenched in left field. If, for at least next season, pitchers begin batting again, would the Nationals feel comfortable with either Soto or Ozuna in right field on a regular basis?

After what proved to be an underwhelming free-agent market in terms of years offered last winter, Ozuna admitted that he wished he had accepted the Cardinals' one-year, $17.8-million qualifying offer. Perhaps a reunion could come to fruition this winter. The hope in St. Louis is that top overall prospect Dylan Carlson takes a major step forward in his first full big league season, but as is, the Cardinals could stand to add some pop in their outfield. Dexter Fowler is entering the final year of what's been a really disappointing five-year contract, and Harrison Bader's best trait is his defense. If there's no DH in 2021, Ozuna could play left field, with some combination of Bader, Fowler and Lane Thomas competing for at-bats in center and right field. If there is a DH in the NL, it's a pretty simple solution -- Ozuna would fill that role on a regular basis while occasionally playing in the outfield, which is what he did in Atlanta this past season.

As they prepared to move into Globe Life Field, there was a thought that the Rangers may make a major investment in a star position player last offseason. Instead, they were unable to land either Rendon or Donaldson and ultimately received just one inning of work from offseason addition Corey Kluber. As the Rangers look to catch up to the Athletics and Astros in the AL West, Ozuna would seem to be a strong fit for the Rangers as a DH and occasional outfielder. He perhaps isn't a big enough name to draw fans to the park on his own, but one would think that the Rangers would like to field a competitive team in 2021, when they presumably will be allowed to have some fan presence at home games in their new stadium for the first time.