Atlanta Braves outfielder Marcell Ozuna was arrested May 29 on two counts after a domestic violence incident with his wife.
The charges are aggravated assault by strangulation and battery.
While he was released on bond, he will face an investigation from MLB.
He can be suspended even if he isn’t found guilty.
He is currently away from the team, with two fractured fingers.
The Braves won’t have him back soon, and may need to replace his bat.
Are there free agents capable of filling his spot?
3. Jon Jay
If the Braves want to go to the free agency and sign someone with some baseball rhythm, they should call veteran Jon Jay.
At 36 years old, he remains active and winning to play.
In fact, he is playing with Team USA as they try to qualify to the Olympics.
Jay even played some MLB games this season with the Los Angeles Angels, hitting .357 in five games with the Halos.
In fact, he remains a part of that organization, as they designated him for assignment on May 14.
After that, Jay cleared waivers and returned to Triple-A.
However, veterans can opt out of minor league assignments rather easily if they get a major league opportunity elsewhere.
Jay’s days as an above-average offensive performer are over, but if the Braves want an experienced player with some World Series pedigree (he won in 2011 with the St. Louis Cardinals) they could give Jay a call and make him win a spot with a minor league deal.
2. Yoenis Cespedes
If the Braves want power, they could potentially give Yoenis Cespedes a call.
After undergoing multiple heel surgeries and injuring his ankle in a freak ranch accident before the 2019 season, Cespedes’ career hasn’t been the same.
He is currently 35 years old and makes more sense for an American League team that can deploy him as a designated hitter one or two times per week, but if the Braves call and he is in good shape, he could potentially win a spot.
He is limited as a reserve outfielder or DH these days, mainly because the multiple leg injuries he has suffered since 2018, but he should be able to hit his fair share of home runs if given the opportunity.
His last major league action came with the New York Mets last season, but he opted out after hitting .161/.235/.387 with two homers in eight games.
Cespedes is clearly no Ozuna, but at the same time, the Braves should’t expect to replace his production in the free agent market of today.
In all honesty, Puig & Céspedes are the best free agents; in my opinion.
— The Daily Braves (@thedailybraves) June 2, 2021
However, he could bat somewhere in the low .200s with several homers if given a chance.
1. Yasiel Puig
Yasiel Puig is the most realistic option for the Braves to replace Ozuna.
His MLB career started furiously, shining with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2013 to 2018.
His career numbers are not bad at all (.277/.348/.475 with 131 home runs) and he was an above-average hitter as recently as 2019, his last year in the league.
Off-the-field concerns and a lack of defensive value have slowly pushed him out of the league, but if there is a perfect moment to return to MLB, it’s now.
Braves should call Puig
— Zach Martin (@zachmartin_15) June 1, 2021
Puig is perhaps the only free agent outfielder that can produce something remotely close to what Ozuna contributed.
He is actually playing in Mexico, but a call from the Braves could change that.
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