Pirates May Soon Be Faced With Tough Marcell Ozuna Decision

Despite the Pittsburgh Pirates' front office facing a lot of criticism over the last few seasons, the group made aggressive moves over the offseason that have clearly worked in the team's favor.

Brandon Lowe has arguably been Pittsburgh's best hitter in the lineup all year long, and Ryan O'Hearn is outplaying the contract he signed, too.

However, there is one move the Pirates made that isn't aging very well: signing Marcell Ozuna.

Ozuna had racked up 60 home runs over the previous two seasons and was only one year removed from a campaign in which the veteran posted an OPS north of .900.

Even in his 30s, Ozuna still looked like a hitter who could provide some thump to the middle of a contending lineup.

Unfortunately for all parties, that hasn't been the case in 2026, and his opportunities are beginning to fade as a result. 

Ozuna has appeared in 68 games for the Pirates and has a slash line of .205/.289/.328. His bat speed is still on par with the last few years, but Ozuna hasn't been able to barrel up the ball as he did in his final two seasons with the Atlanta Braves. 

To his credit, Ozuna has still been able to impact the team as a veteran leader in the locker room, but that can only go so far when there are only so many spots on a team. 

The hitter the Pirates thought they were signing over the winter simply hasn't panned out, and the team could face a tough decision in the coming weeks as a result. 

At some point, Spencer Horwitz and Oneil Cruz hopefully will be healthy and come off the injured list soon. Hopefully, Konnor Griffin isn't too far behind them by the middle of September.

Plus, Pittsburgh is having breakout seasons from Esmerlyn Valdez and Nick Gonzales, while the trade for Jacob Gonzalez looks to be a beneficial one for the team, too. 

There's also the possibility that the Pirates add at the trade deadline and need to make room for any potential acquisition.

The reality is that the Pirates will have a tough time finding playing time for everyone and already have more deserving players than available roster spots. Ozuna only being a designated hitter at this point in his career also complicates the situation further. 

As Pittsburgh's roster develops over the next few weeks, parting ways with Ozuna might make the most sense for the Pirates.