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Free Agency Reunion With Former Slugger Makes Sense for Marlins

Originally posted on Miami Marlins on SI | By Scott Roche | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 5:07 PM ET

There are a lot of needs the Miami Marlins have entering the offseason.

They finished in third place of the NL East standings at four games behind the New York Mets. They also finished three games ahead of the Atlanta Braves, which is not something that anyone was expecting entering the year.

Despite the 83 losses, they hung around the wild card race longer than a lot of people thought they would. And they closed out the season by taking two out of three from the Mets to knock them out of contention for the final wild card spot.

One way to fix the Marlins' offensive issues is through free agency. They would have to overpay to add a bat or two, but that's what it might take to get this franchise to the next level as truly competitive again.

Could Marlins Reunite With Marcell Ozuna?

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Marcell Ozuna played his first five seasons with Miami. He slashed .277/.329/.469 with the Marlins and was an All-Star in 2016 and 2017. In December of 2017, Miami traded Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals, and he spent two years there before signing in free agency with the Atlanta Braves.

He is a free agent this winter, and a reunion with the Marlins was suggested by Bleacher Report’s Zachary Rymer.

"The Marlins weren't good this year, but going from 100 losses to just 83 from one season to the next is a danged quantum leap. Hopefully, the Marlins will build on it. It's the franchise's history of sitting out of free agency that makes the 'hopefully' necessary, but this is a perfect time for the Marlins to go in a different direction ... Speaking of Ozuna, it would be fun to see a reunion with him,’’ Rymer wrote.

Miami is not going to attract a lot of free agents, so having to overpay for one likely has to happen to bring a big fish to town. A reunion with the 34-year-old Ozuna would help a Marlins offense in need of help. Ozuna slashed .232/.355/.400 for the Braves this year. Those are a dip from what he did in 2024, however, those numbers would be welcomed in Miami’s lineup.

The Marlins finished tied for 11th with the Houston Astros in MLB with a .250 team average, and they were right in the middle of the pack with 709 runs scored. They were 27th in home runs with 154. Two of their biggest in the season were a solo shot by Dane Myers and a two-run homer by Jakob Marsee in the top of the ninth inning in a 5-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Aug. 17 at Fenway Park.

The fixes are not going to be easy for the Marlins, but finding a bat or two in free agency to pair with some of the promising young bats they have would be a step in the right direction. And a reunion with Ozuna should not be something that is out of the equation.