For months now there’s been speculation about the Marlins looking to trade 24-year-old outfielder Marcell Ozuna, whom they demoted to the minors and then kept there far longer than reasonable.
And now Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com reports that “multiple teams” have talked to the Marlins about acquiring Ozuna, quoting one source who says:
With any other team that in itself would be news, but with Jeffrey Loria and the Marlins it’s just business as usual.
Crasnick says the Marlins are looking for a young, MLB-ready starting pitcher in exchange for Ozuna, who’s hit .265 with 36 homers and a .727 OPS through 346 career games as a big leaguer and crushed Triple-A during his demotion.
Ozuna has some flaws, including shaky plate discipline, but he’s a plus defensive corner outfielder with 25-homer power and plenty of teams would probably be happy to make him part of their long-term plans.