Los Angeles Dodgers Interested in Marcell Ozuna After Missing Out on Stanton and Ohtani
The failure to land either two-way Japanese sensation Shohei Ohtani or National League (NL) most valuable player Giancarlo Stanton can be discouraging for the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the good news is that the Miami Marlins aren't done trimming their payroll and they may be willing to part ways with another one of their talented core players.
Dodgers Digest's Dustin Nosler has reported that the Dodgers have now turned their attention to Marlins power hitter Marcell Ozuna and talks between the teams are in the early stages.
"After their talks regarding Stanton never got to the point where they were serious, Ozuna now appears to be the immediate target," Nosler said in his report.
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"In terms of fit, Ozuna makes a lot of sense for the Dodgers. He's a right-handed power-hitter who plays strong defense in left field (11 DRS last season), and the Dodgers aren't locked into any player at the position," he continued.
"He's entering his prime and, while he might not best his 2017 production, he should be a productive player for the next handful of years," he added.
Of course, the Dodgers' outfield is overcrowded right now with Chris Taylor, Yasiel Puig, Enrique Hernandez, Joc Pederson, Andrew Toles, Alex Verdugo, Trayce Thompson and Cody Bellinger all vying for playing time.
Still, Ozuna would be a good addition for the Dodgers and he would give the team another right-handed outfielder. Aside from that, he's just entering his prime and he's under team control through the 2019 season.
Ozuna posted a 0.312/0.376/0.548 slash line in 159 games last season and he received the Gold Glove award last season as the NL's top defensive left fielder. The Dominican slugger also hit a career-best 37 home runs in 679 plate appearances.
Will the Dodgers settle for the consolation prize and pursue Ozuna after they miss out on Ohtani and Stanton?
