The St. Louis Cardinals have drawn slightly closer in the National League Wild Card race but are still longshots to reach the postseason. St. Louis sits five games back of the Atlanta Braves.
In the event that the Cardinals miss the postseason, they'll likely need some help with their offense, particularly from the right side of the plate. Paul Goldschmidt is likely to depart in free agency.
However, this could lead the Cardinals to pursue a reunion with a former slugger.
"Marcell Ozuna is the second-best DH in the sport behind only Shohei Ohtani," Jim Bowden wrote. "Ozuna has a $16 million club option for 2025."
Ozuna is currently with the Atlanta Braves, and his club option could ultimately keep him in Atlanta. But in the unlikely event that the Braves do not exercise that option, he could be a candidate to return to St. Louis.
The Cardinals acquired him in December of 2017 for Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen in a trade that is viewed with contempt by Cardinals fans. However, Ozuna was productive during his two-year stint in St. Louis.
The 33-year-old has had a strong 2024 season with the Braves, hitting .306 with 37 home runs, 98 RBI, and a .950 OPS in his 517 at-bats.
He would certainly give the Cardinals lineup a boost as they try to return to prominence in 2025. Offense has been hard to come by for St. Louis this season.
But the addition of a big bat such as Ozuna could set them on the right path again and get them back to where they were in 2022 when they were near the top of National League in runs scored.
Of course, the Braves would have to decline his club option for this to be possible, but if they do, it will be interesting to see if St. Louis pursues their former slugger.
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