ATLANTA — One of Atlanta's newest - and best - hitters appears to have a strong future with the Braves following a contract announcement by the ball club on Friday night.
The Braves signed outfielder Marcell Ozuna to a four-year contract worth $64 million. The deal also includes a fifth-year club option at $16 million or a $1 million buyout, guaranteeing Ozuna $65 million.
Ozuna became the first Braves player to lead the National League in either home runs or RBI since 2005 when Andruw Jones led the N.L. in both, with 51 home runs and 128 RBI.
He quickly became a fan favorite on the fun-loving Braves, and his “selfie celebrations” after hitting home runs quickly became the talk of baseball.
Ozuna was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by Florida in 2008 and made his major league debut with the Marlins in 2013. St. Louis then acquired him in a five-player deal with them in 2017. He was signed to a one-year deal with the Braves in January 2020.
In his career so far, which spans over 991 career games, Ozuna has compiled a .275 average, 166 home runs, 594 RBI, and a .801 On-base Plus Slugging (OPS).
He also earned All-Star honors in 2016 and 17 and won a Golden Glove in the latter year.
Outfielder Kyle Garlick has been designated for assignment to make room on the Braves roster.