MLB insider ties Guardians to slugger fans have been begging for at trade deadline

In 2023, Marcell Ozuna played in his first career game at Progressive Field and promptly treated Cleveland to a show when he slugged an opposite field solo home run in his second at-bat of the game.

And, according to one MLB insider, there's a chance that could end up becoming a regular sight at Progressive Field. 

MLB insider ties Guardians to slugger fans have been begging for at trade deadline Marcell Ozuna

On Wednesday, MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand put out an article highlighting 14 potential trade candidates, one of whom was Ozuna — who Feinsand linked to the Guardians. 

The Braves don’t have much of a history of being sellers, but given their current place in the standings – 12 games back in the NL East and seven games out of a Wild Card spot – it wouldn’t be a shock if Atlanta began looking toward 2026. The Braves have a handful of expiring contracts, but given the lack of power hitters expected to be available between now and July 31, Ozuna could bring back the best return as a rental,” Feinsand wrote. He also said that Ozuna would be a fit for the Guardians, Rangers and Tigers. 

As Feinsand wrote, the Braves have bottomed out this year and are staring down the barrel of their first uncompetitive season in nearly 10 years, which could lead to Ozuna becoming expendable in the last year of his contract.

And while the Guardians would no doubt benefit from adding Ozuna to their lineup, he wouldn’t be a perfect fit on their roster. Ozuna’s a full-time designated hitter (he hasn’t played in the field since 2023), and the Guardians already employ one of those in David Fry, who is unable to play the field after undergoing surgery in the offseason. 

The Guardians’ lineup needs a big bat like Ozuna’s if they want to compete in the American League, but it would be surprising to see them go after a guy with negative positional value who also hits on the same side as their current designated hitter. 

Ozuna joined the Braves in the 2020 season and earned MVP votes in the truncated 2020 season, which led to Atlanta signing him to a five-year, $80 million contract. That contract expires after this season, so the Guardians (or whoever acquires him in a trade) would be on the hook for a little less than half the $16 million he’s due to make this year, so long as neither team decides to do anything to pay down the salary. 

He ranks in the 100th percentile in walk rate, the 88th percentile in hard-hit rate and the 83rd percentile in chase rate, and is hitting .257 with 11 home runs and 38 RBI in 68 games.

But it’s not like Ozuna is without baggage, as he was arrested in 2021 and charged with felony assault after he choked his wife and threw her against a wall.While the charges were withdrawn, Ozuna served a 20-game suspension for the incident in the 2021 season. 

In short, the Guardians going after Ozuna would be puzzling. 

Elsewhere in the article, Feinsand also mentioned the Guardians as a potential fit for Marlins pitcher Edward Cabrera, Marlins outfielder Jesús Sánchez, Pirates reliever Dennis Santana and Angels outfielder Taylor Ward. 

All of those fits make a bit more sense given the Guardians’ need on the roster. Ward and    Sánchez would help fill the team’s black hole in right field (Sánchez was already brought up as a hypothetical target for the Guardians earlier this month), while Cabrera and Santana would fill some key holes in the team’s pitching depth and come with multiple years of control. 

Last year, the Guardians filled out their roster with a rental starter in Alex Cobb and a controllable outfielder in Lane Thomas. Could that formula be flipped at this year’s trade deadline?