Dodgers Reportedly Out On Marcell Ozuna

After Giancarlo Stanton was traded to the Yankees, Marcell Ozuna became arguably the most sought after outfielder on the trade market. Despite earlier reports about the Dodgers’ interest in Ozuna, they’re now reportedly out of the conversation.

Source: As of now, the #Dodgers are out on Marcell Ozuna. Could come back, but not likely. Focus now is on the bullpen (as has been reported already).

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— Dustin Nosler (@DustinNosler) December 13, 2017

While Ozuna may not be as well known as Stanton, he’s an extremely talented player. In 2017 Ozuna slashed .312/.376/.548 with 37 home runs and 124 RBIs. The two-time All Star is being heavily pursued on the trade market, most notably by the St. Louis Cardinals. Jon Heyman reported earlier that Ozuna is on the market, with the Cardinals in the mix.

Word is Marcell Ozuna wouldn’t mind staying in Miami. Very unlikely he gets that wish, however. (Many players love Miami. Stanton would have been happy to stay if marlins were adding, not subtracting).

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 13, 2017

#STLCards are in on Ozuna but hearing there are a “couple sleepers” too they are trying

— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 13, 2017

The Cardinals seem like the most likely destination as of now. They have a tremendous stable of prospects that they were willing to pick from in a deal for Stanton, and you can expect to see some of the same names floated around in talks for Ozuna. While there are reportedly sleepers in the conversation, it’s not currently known who they may be. They will likely surface in the coming days, but it appears that the Dodgers will not be among them.

It’s unclear why the Dodgers are out of the conversation so early. It’s very possible that the asking price got too high with multiple teams in pursuit of the 27-year old. If that’s the case, then it seems unlikely that the Dodgers will pursue Ozuna’s teammate Christian Yelich. Although the Marlins are looking to move just about anyone that can shed payroll and help the rebuild, Yelich will likely come at a much higher cost. While Ozuna will still cost a lot in prospect capital, he only has two years of team control left. Yelich, on the other hand, is under contract for 5 more seasons, which is likely to raise his price far past his teammate.

The Dodgers could still get back into the conversation for Ozuna, but if not they’ll likely stick to the multitude of internal outfield options that they have.