Reds rumors: Marcell Ozuna turned down Cincinnati Reds three-year deal

Marcell Ozuna really didn’t want to play for the Cincinnati Reds. According to the latest Reds rumors, Ozuna turned down a three-year deal from Cincinnati.

You know, a lot of fans had no desire to see Marcell Ozuna suit up in Cincinnati Reds uniform. Apparently, the feeling was mutual. Jon Heyman, an insider at MLB Network, reported yesterday that Ozuna turned down a three-year/$50M offer from the Reds, opting instead to sign a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves.

Now, if you put the two deals side-by-side, Atlanta’s one-year/$18M deal is worth more than what the average annual value ($16.6M) would have been had Ozuna signed with Cincinnati. The way Cincinnati has been constructing deals this winter, it’s probably fair to assume that the first year of the deal may have been in the range of $15M, with an increase the following two seasons.

Heyman claims that Ozuna is, in effect, betting on himself. That’s a fair point. There’ll be no qualifying offer tied to Ozuna next winter after receiving one from the St. Louis Cardinals this offseason. Once a player is extended a qualifying offer, draft pick compensation is tied to that player if another team signs him to a lucrative deal.

Speaking of draft pick compensation, had the Reds signed Ozuna to the lucrative deal that Heyman has alluded to, the team would’ve had to sacrifice their third-highest draft pick. After being rejected by Ozuna, Cincinnati regrouped. The Reds were able to eventually sign highly-touted outfielder Nick Castellanos instead.

After striking out on Ozuna, Cincinnati signed Castellanos to a four-year/$64M contract. The deal allows Castellanos to opt out after both the 2020 and 2021 seasons, effectively making the agreement a one-year arrangement. However, if they wish, Cincinnati can extend a qualifying offer to Castellanos or try to re-negotiate if the slugger opts out after next season.

Ozuna and Castellanos had been closely linked throughout the offseason. Debate raged, especially throughout Reds Country, over which player was the better free agent outfielder. Ozuna is older, but displayed better defense while going to two All-Star Games. Castellanos, a year younger, seemed to provide more upside, but his meteoric rise in Chicago was questioned.

Regardless of these latest Reds rumors, it seems like Cincinnati made out pretty well. Though the club may not have landed their first target, Nick Castellanos is a nice consolation prize. In fact, he may be the better of the two. Plus, the Reds didn’t have to sacrifice a draft pick. In the end, this may work out best for the Cincinnati Reds and Marcell Ozuna.