Marcell Ozuna’s stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates never got off the ground, and it ended the way too many rough seasons do for a hitter in his mid-30s: with the bat staying quiet and the opportunities drying up.
Even after that disappointing run, Ozuna is still playing. He signed with Gigantes Del Cibao in the Dominican Republic Professional Baseball League on Oct. 9, giving him a new stop in winter league baseball after his time in Pittsburgh.
The early results haven’t been much better. Through three games, Ozuna has only one hit in nine at-bats, but he has drawn four walks in 13 plate appearances. That leaves him with a .111/.385/.111 line and a .496 OPS.
His Pirates chapter began on Feb. 16, when Pittsburgh signed him to a one-year, $12 million contract with a 2027 mutual option for $16 million just before Spring Training. The move was made to plug a glaring need: a right-handed power bat for a lineup that had been the worst in baseball in 2025.
Instead, Ozuna stumbled almost immediately. By April 12, he was hitting .070/.167/.070 with a .237 OPS, and boos from Pirates fans started with the first homestand. He never found his footing for long stretches after that, and his batting average didn’t climb above .200 until June 23, around the middle of the season.
As the season wore on, the Pirates began leaning on other options at designated hitter. Ozuna went from playing 46 of the first 56 games to appearing in only 24 of the final 57 games he spent with the club. Pittsburgh used Bryan Reynolds, Ryan O'Hearn, Spencer Horwitz, Brandon Lowe and rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin at DH as the role shifted away from Ozuna.
The end came on Aug. 5, when the Pirates designated him for assignment. He was released the next day.
By then, the numbers told the story. Ozuna hit .203/.286/.327 with a .613 OPS in 70 games, going 51-for-252 with seven doubles, eight home runs and 29 RBI. At the time of his DFA, he was also one of the worst hitters in baseball among players with at least 250 plate appearances.
For Pittsburgh, the search for answers at designated hitter now points mostly inward. Reynolds handled the job well enough to play all 162 games in 2026, becoming the first Pirates player since Jason Bay in 2005 to do so. O'Hearn is set to DH as well, especially after injury problems in 2026 that were likely tied to having to play right field when Ozuna was in the mix.
The Pirates could also use Oneil Cruz more often at DH as they try to manage his workload and keep his bat in the lineup. Nick Gonzales got his first career turn there in 2026 and may see more of it next season. Esmerlyn Valdez and Horwitz are also possibilities, and Lowe would be another primary option if Pittsburgh brings him back.
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Pirates May Have Found The Buy-Low Bullpen Arm They Need
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Erceg still offers traits Pittsburgh would value, even with some recent rough patches clouding the picture. The real question is whether the Royals would even entertain moving him, because if they do, the Pirates could see a reliever with upside and team control as a fit for a bullpen that needs more reliable late-inning answers. [Read more 🡒]