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Former MLB General Manager Claims Struggling Pirates Veteran Is 'Done' originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
An MLB analyst warned the Pittsburgh Pirates not to anticipate an in-season turnaround from an offseason addition.
Marcell Ozuna hasn't contributed to Pittsburgh's offensive improvement, batting .179/.275/.305 through 171 plate appearances. Just two years removed from hitting .302 with 39 home runs, the designated hitter must try to fend off a steep decline.
Jim Bowden doesn't think Ozuna has anything left in the tank. The former general manager claimed the 35-year-old is "done" in a piece for The Athletic dissecting some of MLB's struggling veterans.
"Ozuna, 35, has had a solid 14-year career, with 301 home runs and an .800 OPS. However, his decline over the past three years is real, as his SLG has gone from .546 to .400 to .311," Bowden wrote. "He’s batting just .179 this year and has a -0.7 bWAR. His Hard Hit rate has gone from 96th percentile in 2024 to the 38th percentile this year. Given his age and the decline in his production over the past two years, he looks like a release candidate at some point this season."
Ozuna has a career-high 28.1 percent strikeout rate and his lowest ISO (.126) since 2015. He also has his lowest average exit velocity (89.1 mph) since Statcast began tracking it 11 years ago.
As a result, the three-time All-Star is beginning to lose playing time. Thursday afternoon marks the third straight game Ozuna won't start against a right-handed starting pitcher.
Ozuna still has a .360 on-base percentage against lefties this season, so he could at least remain valuable in a platoon role. However, Jhostynxon Garcia will try to earn a permanent spot on Pittsburgh's big league roster during Ryan O'Hearn's injury absence.
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