New Marlins manager Don Mattingly and hitting coach Barry Bonds have pushed back against owner Jeffrey Loria’s desire to trade outfielder Marcell Ozuna, as they feel they can mold him into a 30/30 player, per Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe. Loria has made no secret that he dislikes Ozuna.
Ozuna, 25, won’t become eligible for free agency until after the 2019 season. Over parts of three seasons, he has hit .265/.311/.416 with 36 home runs, 161 RBI, and 10 stolen bases across 1,397 plate appearances. The Marlins curiously demoted him to Triple-A in early July this past season and waited until mid-August to recall him.
Cafardo notes that “up to 10 teams” have inquired or otherwise have serious interest in acquiring Ozuna from the Marlins, which isn’t surprising.