The Washington Nationals may have a need for an outfielder. If they do, they should consider trading for Marcell Ozuna.
For the last seven seasons, Jayson Werth has patrolled the outfield for the Washington Nationals. However, his contract has now expired, and the Nats are unlikely to re-sign him, at least to be a starter.
If the Nats want to stay in-house to replace him, they could make Michael Taylor the permanent starting center fielder and move Adam Eaton to left. This is a perfectly plausible solution, and would likely work just fine.
Or the Nats could make a trade and acquire one of the best outfielders in the league. Since Derek Jeter bought the Miami Marlins, there have been rumors that he wants to tear up the team and rebuild. If they decide to follow through with this plan, outfielder Marcell Ozuna could be a great fit with the Nats.
The soon-to-be 27-year-old outfielder is currently one of the faces of the Marlins, and is among the best players in the league. He is a two-time All-Star, including starting the game for the National League in 2017. Ozuna was also named a Gold Glove Award winner last night.
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2017 was Ozuna’s best season so far. To go with his 37 homers, 124 RBI’s, and 93 runs scored, he owned a slash line of .312/.376/.548. Even more impressively, he raked all season and barely missed any time. He played 159 games, only missing three all year.
Both Bryce Harper and Daniel Murphy have contracts that expire after the 2018 season. If they depart, the Nats will lose most of their power. Acquiring Ozuna will ensure that they have at least one bonafide power hitter signed past 2018.
Defensively, 2017 was Ozuna’s first full season in left field. Considering he won the Gold Glove Award, he handled the transition flawlessly. Prior to 2017, he primarily played center field.
If the Nats were to trade for Ozuna, he would likely move back to center field. Eaton is coming off of major knee surgery, so the Nats may want to move him to left because he will not have to cover as much ground. Eaton also had better stats as a corner outfielder with the White Sox, so the move makes sense on multiple levels.
With Eaton in left field and Ozuna in center field, Taylor would return to his role as a fourth outfielder. He entered 2017 as a fourth outfielder, but was thrust into a starting role when Eaton tore his ACL. Taylor had a terrific season and deserves to start, but he would provide great depth as a fourth outfielder.
Ozuna is also not very financially strenuous. He made $3.5 million in 2017, which is a bargain for a player of his stature. He is arbitration eligible for the next two seasons, so he will get a raise, but should remain affordable. According to MLB Trade Rumors, Ozuna is projected to make $10.9 million in arbitration for 2018, which isn’t terrible for an MVP-caliber player.
One potential roadblock in an Ozuna trade is the fact that the Nats and Marlins both play in the National League East. Intradivisional trades are somewhat of a rarity, but are certainly still possible. Nats GM Mike Rizzo has shown that he will make any trade that improves the Nats, and the Marlins are rebuilding, so they are less likely to care.
Next: Bryce Harper's 2017 report card
With Werth likely gone, the Nats have a starting job up for grabs. While they could move Eaton to left and keep Taylor in center, Ozuna is an MVP-caliber outfielder likely on the move. Opportunities like these do not arise everyday, and the Nats should take advantage of it.