Marcell Ozuna was responsible for a large part of the St. Louis Cardinals’ production on offense last season; hitting for 29 home runs as well as a .800 OPS. This output was the second-highest on the Cardinals in the season before hitting free agency for the first time.
Though his offensive numbers are very solid, Ozuna was a liability in the field and has also been dealing with a nagging shoulder injury over the past year. Both of which could scare the Cardinals away from giving Ozuna the long term extension that he seeks.
If the Cardinals do decide to let Ozuna walk and claim the compensatory pick that comes with it, there has to be a replacement on hand that is capable of producing at a high level.