Pirates fans just got their best hope yet for a Marcell Ozuna exit

An overlooked need for the Pittsburgh Pirates at the 2026 trade deadline is freeing up roster spots to fit in new acquisitions. The player who most fans have in the crosshairs to ditch for increased flexibility is Marcell Ozuna. After all, a designated hitter who doesn't hit has no redeeming value.

It might seem like the Pirates are stuck with Ozuna. He makes a hefty salary, and with a 69 wRC+ on the season, he isn't even sniffing league-average performance. However, the folks at MLB.com believe that there's a chance Pittsburgh can still ship out Ozuna at the deadline. Even better, they believe that the Pirates might be able to clear out some payroll space in the process.

There are a couple of ways the Pirates could dump Marcell Ozuna at the trade deadline

The rumor was that Pittsburgh would only pursue upgrades if it could avoid raising payroll, which is a ridiculous take. Fortunately, the local beat reporters have come out and refuted those claims.

With that said, Ben Cherington will obviously be freed up to wheel and deal even more if he can add payroll flexibility. The Pirates have already added roughly $4 million in breathing room thanks to the Joey Bart trade and dealing away their comp pick in the 2026 MLB draft, and ditching Ozuna could add roughly $4 million more to the coffers.

Ozuna's line on the season through July 26 is a miserable .200/.286/.325, but there are a few developments that make things a bit more encouraging than they seem. First, he hit a putrid .162/.224/.242 over the season's first month. Since May 1, however, he's been better, slashing .227/.327/.383. That's a 96 wRC+, which for a DH-only player isn't great, but is significantly better than what his season line looks like.

The market is thin for right-handed power bats, so there might be some tepid interest in Ozuna from a desperate contender. If the Pirates attach a prospect to him, a deal could get done, and Pittsburgh could then find a little more wiggle room in the budget.

There's another, albeit less likely, way the Pirates can rid themselves of Ozuna, and that would be in a bad-contract-for-bad-contract type of swap. Essentially, the Pirates and their trading partner would both be betting that the overpaid players in the deal would rebound in a change of scenery.

That's a tough needle to thread because you'd need to find similar salaries, both teams being able to scratch a roster itch, and for both teams to find some reason to believe in the player changing hands. Not so easy, but theoretically, it is possible.

So while Pirates rumors might have you feeling highs and lows, don't be surprised if Ozuna's name starts popping up in some rumblings. It's not out of the realm of possibility, and it'd certainly be a positive development.

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