Mets target division rival slugger Marcell Ozuna to bolster DH spot. Can he reignite MVP form for New York?
The New York Mets will have a hole in their lineup at the designated hitter position heading into 2026, especially if first baseman Pete Alonso leaves in free agency and causes some shifting to happen. One of their DHs’ last season, Starling Marte, is hitting free agency this winter, and it’s unclear if head of baseball operations David Stearns will bring back the 14-year veteran amid growing concerns about his production at his age.
If Stearns is to look elsewhere to fill in the gap left by a potential Marte departure, he may not need to look far. Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly predicted the Mets to land free agent Marcell Ozuna in a recent article. Ozuna spent the last six seasons with the Mets’ division rival Atlanta Braves.
“We're not suggesting that the Mets only move to address their lineup this offseason is signing Ozuna. But something like a one-year, $13 million deal would be a worthwhile investment,” Kelly wrote.
It could be a worthwhile investment for the Mets to bring in Ozuna on such a deal. Though he had a slightly above-average 2025 season, Ozuna was in the MVP conversations just two seasons ago with Atlanta. In 2024, Ozuna hit 39 home runs and batted .302, finishing with an OPS of .925.
He followed that up with a somewhat disappointing 2025, where his batting average dropped to .232 while recording a not-as-impressive .756 OPS. The down year will make teams hesitant about signing the soon-to-be 35-year-old, but it could actually work pretty well in the Mets' favor.
Because he saw regression in his contract year, New York won’t need to cough up nearly as much money as they would if he maintained his 2024 level of production. Stearns could bring in Ozuna on a much more team-friendly deal, taking the gamble on his ability to have a bounce-back season and provide some much-needed production at the DH spot.
Like Kelly said in his article, the addition of Ozuna wouldn’t be the only fix for the Mets' lineup. Still, it could provide some proven depth while the team spends larger sums in other areas of the roster, such as starting pitching.