Braves exercise Ozuna's $16M option, decline d'Arnaud
The Atlanta Braves announced Monday they picked up designated hitter Marcell Ozuna's $16-million club option for next season.
However, the Braves declined catcher Travis d'Arnaud's $8-million option and reliever Luke Jackson's $7-million option.
Ozuna was a pivotal piece of Atlanta's lineup in 2024, going deep 39 times with 104 RBIs and a .925 OPS over a career-high 162 games en route to a third All-Star nod.
The 33-year-old's bat helped the Braves reach the postseason as a wild-card team after dealing with significant injuries to Ronald Acuña Jr., Austin Riley, Ozzie Albies, and Spencer Strider.
Meanwhile, d'Arnaud is now a free agent after spending the last five years with Atlanta. The 35-year-old former All-Star recorded 15 homers with 48 RBIs and a .739 OPS across 99 games in 2024.
The Braves made the move for payroll flexibility but aren't closing the door on re-signing d'Arnaud, according to David O'Brien of The Athletic.
Lastly, Jackson amassed a combined 5.09 ERA with 59 strikeouts over 52 appearances between Atlanta and the San Francisco Giants this year.