With just under a month until pitchers and catchers report, the Major League Baseball season is slowly creeping upon us. The Hot Stove has been fairly lukewarm with many teams waiting to hear whether or not the league will bring back the universal designated hitter this season or not.
After multiple reports have come out that there will be no universal DH in 2021 we may see the hot stove warm up, and for Atlanta Braves fans specifically, they hope this is true for their team after a rather quiet offseason.
Jon Chuckery talked about this with Atlanta Braves insider Joe Patrick telling Joe “We’re a month away from pitchers and catchers reporting, and I feel like I have no idea what the final roster is going to look like.”
Besides signing starting pitchers Drew Smyly and Charlie Morton earlier in the offseason and veteran third baseman Pablo Sandoval the Braves have been very quiet this offseason. Even with the minimal moves, Patrick believes the team that was only outs away from their first National League pennant and World Series birth since 1999 doesn’t have to do much to get better.
“If they are able to re-sign Ozuna along with the starting pitchers they brought in I think they’ll be better," said Patrick. "But if they don’t re-sign Ozuna then I don’t think they are that much better.”
Ozuna fit in with the Braves like a glove last season. In a shortened season he finished with a .338 batting average, 18 home runs, and 56 RBI. However, it’s not just about the monster stats Ozuna put up, it’s about his leadership, energy, and chemistry and the way he bonded and meshed with the young stars Ronald Acu˜na Jr. and Ozzie Albies.
Freddie Freeman was the MVP of the league last year and obviously the MVP of the Braves. But Ozuna was the heart of that team. Who was it that started mixing it up in Atlanta again? I think Braves fans know the answer to that question and I think the Braves know it’s time to re-sign Ozuna.