The San Diego Padres will be in the market for a power bat at the trade deadline. The team currently sits six games out of the first-place in the NL West, and one game outside of the NL Wild Card, meaning they will need to be aggressive at the deadline to make a playoff push.
The Athletic’s Tim Britton, Aaron Gleeman, and Chad Jennings have mentioned Marcell Ozuna as a potential fit for the Padres via trade. Ozuna is in the final year of a four-year, $65 million contract with the Braves.
The Braves have struggled with consistency this season, which suggests that the team could look to sell off its expiring pieces should the team continue to slip.
“Another losing streak and two more pitcher injuries have its playoff odds in single digits. As an impending free agent who slugged 79 homers the last two years, Ozuna makes sense as the first piece to go,” they wrote.
Ozuna is experiencing a bit of a down season in 2025, hitting just .238 with 11 home runs and a .746 OPS this season. In six seasons with the Braves, Ozuna has slugged 138 home runs, and carries an .841 OPS.
Should the Padres acquire him, Ozuna could deepen the team’s lineup and give them a true slugger in the middle of the order. Although he hasn’t performed up to the standard, perhaps a change of scenery in a contract year to a team still in contention could be just what Ozuna needs to get back on track.