Reds rumors: Cincinnati Reds interest in Marcell Ozuna intensifying

The Reds rumors involving the team’s interest in Marcell Ozuna aren’t going away. The Cincinnati Reds have been heavily involved with Ozuna’s camp.

The Reds rumors surrounding Marcell Ozuna just won’t go away. The free agent outfielder has been on the Cincinnati Reds radar for sometime now, and perhaps this week is when something finally get done. Two different sources have reported that the Reds continue to show interest adding Ozuna’s bat to the lineup.

Jon Heyman, an insider at MLB Network, is reporting that the Reds and Ozuna’s representation have been in contact since the MLB Winter Meetings began earlier this week. The Reds are looking to add another bat this offseason, and Ozuna is one of the better remaining on the free agent market.

Jon Morosi of MLB Network also is reporting interest between Ozuna’s camp and the Cincinnati Reds. According to Morosi, Cincinnati has been involved in talks with Marcell Ozuna during the last 24 hours. Neither of these reports should be too shocking, as the Reds have been one of several teams to be after Ozuna’s services.

Now, what may stick out is the possible contract that Ozuna is looking to sign. According to Morosi, Marcell Ozuna is likely to sign a four-year deal with the possibility of an even longer contract depending on how the market unfolds. This may be where things get interesting for Cincinnati’s front office.

So, it’s all but certain Ozuna is going to sign a four-year deal. MLB Trade Rumors predicted before the start of free agency that Ozuna was likely to sign a three-year/$45M contract. So, if that average annual value (AAV) of $15M remains the same, Ozuna may be looking at a contract of at lease four-years for $60M.

Would the Cincinnati Reds have to exceed that amount in order to entice Ozuna to sign in the Queen City? Or, might the front office need to tack on an additional year in order to guarantee Ozuna’s signature on the dotted line?

With Didi Gregorius and Zack Wheeler off to Philadelphia and the White Sox having landing Yasmani Grandal, if Cincinnati really wants to sign Ozuna, it’s becoming evident that the front office will have to pony-up the dough.

I’d guess we’ll see a resolution to this situation by the time the Winter Meetings conclude on Thursday. If Cincinnati really wants to sign Marcell Ozuna, it may behoove them to act quickly before the likes of Anthony Rendon and Josh Donaldson sign their respective deals, perhaps intensifying the pursuit of Ozuna.