Dodgers: Options to Fill the Dodgers’ Left Field Hole

Marcell Ozuna, Miami Marlins

Whenever the Dodgers and Marlins are put in the same sentence, everyone’s mind will immediately jump to Giancarlo Stanton and rightfully so. He’s the reigning NL MVP who Miami is looking to unload because of his contract. And he’s from LA, grew up a Dodgers fan and his friends believe he wants a return home as well.

But if the Dodgers do not want to go all in for Stanton, they should look for Miami’s other big fish, Marcell Ozuna. Ozuna is coming off a breakout year where he hit .312/.376/.548 with 37 home runs, an elite 145 OPS+ and the National League Gold Glove in left field. And at 27 years of age, he is entering his prime.

He is entering his second year of arbitration and is under team control through 2019. He’s going to be looking for a raise these next two years, but it should be team-friendly, considering the money the Dodgers have coming off the books.

Probably the best thing about the two time All-Star is he is coming off a season that saw him play in all but three games. Since 2014, he’s played 153 games, 123 games, 148 games and 159 games. Save for 2015, he has not missed any significant time.

He might cost a hefty penny, but if the Marlins are looking into a firesale and full-scale rebuild, he could be acquired for cheaper. And with the depth the Dodgers have, they would not be able to give up their best young players when trading with a new ownership group looking to start from scratch. Ozuna may be the best option.