Ozuna: ‘It feels amazing’ to join Braves
personally talk to the managers of the teams that train in Arizona on Tuesday.
In further fallout from the Astros’ scheme, Manfred said the investigation into the Boston Red Sox could be completed within two weeks. He also said he planned to meet the players’ union to discuss new rules limiting in-game video access.
“I do expect that we will for 2020 have really serious restrictions on player and playing personnel access to video in-game,” Manfred said. “I think it’s really important for us to send a message to our fans that not only did we investigate and punish, but we altered our policies in a way that will help make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
Manfred said MLB officials discussed the possibility of vacating the Astros’ 2017 World Series championship.
“First of all, it had never happened in baseball,” Manfred said. “I am a precedent guy. The 2017 World Series will always be looked at as different, whether not you put an asterisk or ask for the trophy back. Once you go down that road as for changing the result on the field, I just don’t know where you stop.”
Astros players were granted immunity for taking part in the investigation but Manfred said that “if I was in a world where I could have found the facts without granting immunity, I would have done that.”
“They had an obligation to play by the rules and they didn’t,” Manfred said. “I understand when say the players should have been punished.”
Manfred said expanding the MLB playoff format is being discussed internally but that no decision has been reached.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
NORTH PORT, Fla. — Marcell Ozuna joined his new teammates at Braves camp on Sunday, meeting many of them for the first time. It marked the unofficial beginning to what the player and team hope is a fruitful partnership.
The slugging outfielder, signed to a one-year, $18 million deal last month, possesses an element critical to the team’s success: Power. Lots of power, in fact. A patient, calculated approach by the Braves and a free-agent Ozuna
led to Sunday morning’s introduction.
Ozuna had waited all winter for a multi-year offer he deemed viable. The Braves waited all winter to see if they’d retain clean-up hitter Josh Donaldson. In the end, the simultaneous waiting game paired the Braves and Ozuna.
The Braves had their chance to match Donaldson’s highest bid, but they opted against it. Ozuna reportedly had at least one multi-year pitch, but it wasn’t good enough. Ultimately, Donaldson left for the Twins and Ozuna didn’t receive his sufficient longterm offer. So the team and player found each other, hoping the union provides what both seek.
For the Braves, it was about finding a middle-of-the-order bopper behind Freddie Freeman. For Ozuna, he’ll try to rebuild his value on a contender — as Donaldson did a season ago — and re-enter the market primed for the contract that eluded him in the past several months.
This is another new start for Ozuna, who spent the first five years of his career with the Marlins and the past two with the Cardinals.