San Francisco Giants: Marcell Ozuna is not a good fit in free agency

The San Francisco Giants seem to always have a need for outfielders, and adding more power to the lineup will be a priority this offseason. Is Marcell Ozuna a good target?

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Marcell Ozuna is one of the top outfielders in the upcoming free-agent class, and the San Francisco Giants could consider signing him in their search for more offensive firepower.

Should they?

They would definitely be adding a power bat to the lineup. In 2019, he hit .241/.328/.472 with 29 home runs and 89 RBI, and he’s hit .272/.329/.455 with five seasons of at least 20 home runs over the course of his seven-year career.

It’s safe to say he didn’t have his best season before hitting the open market.

He peaked in 2016 when he batted .312/.376/.548 with 30 doubles, 37 home runs, and 124 RBI to win Silver Slugger honors and finish 15th in NL MVP voting.

Even if his cost comes down a bit as a result of his good-not-great production in 2019, the San Francisco Giants should still pass on him.

While he provides plenty of power, he doesn’t hit for average and he doesn’t provide much in the way of on-base ability, which limits his overall value.

After finishing 28th in the majors with a .302 on-base percentage as a team, the Giants could prioritize on-base ability this offseason.

He’s also limited to left field defensively, and Farhan Zaidi is a player who has always valued versatility. The Giants could instead opt to give guys like Joey Rickard, Jaylin Davis, and Austin Slater a longer look as in-house options alongside Mike Yastrzemski, Kevin Pillar, and Alex Dickerson.

There’s also the fact that Ozuna will be entering his age-29 season next year. The San Francisco Giants are building toward the future and looking to get younger, which means signing Ozuna would go against that idea.

The only scenario where it might make sense for the San Francisco Giants to sign Ozuna is if they feel they can contend in the short-term and he’s willing to sign a two-year deal with a high average annual value. At this point, that seems unlikely.

In the end, it would be best if the San Francisco Giants ultimately pass on Marcell Ozuna. He simply wouldn’t be the best fit for a ball club in the midst of a rebuild.