LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Miami has agreed to trade left fielder Marcell Ozuna to the St. Louis Cardinals, a person familiar with the negotiations told The Associated Press, the third All-Star jettisoned by the Marlins this month in an unrelenting payroll purge under new CEO Derek Jeter.
The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the agreement had not been announced and was subject to a physical.
”Ozuna is one of those names that you have to have great respect, especially as much we see him,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said at the winter meetings. ”We’re at that necessary point of talking through health always, no matter what the player is. It’s not just a formality.”
An All-Star the past two seasons, the 27-year-old Ozuna set career bests this season with a .312 average, 37 homers and 124 RBIs. He is eligible for salary arbitration and likely will earn more than $10 million. He can become a free agent after the 2019 season.
Miami traded second baseman Dee Gordon to Seattle last Thursday for three prospects and dealt right fielder Giancarlo Stanton, the reigning NL MVP, to the New York Yankees on Monday for second baseman Starlin Castro and two prospects. The Cardinals had a deal in place for Stanton last week, but he invoked his no-trade clause and blocked the move.
”I was just very impressed the fact that we were involved in those conversations,” Matheny said. ”Unfortunately, that didn’t work, but I think that just kind of parlayed into, OK, now what are we going to do?”
Ozuna likely will be in the outfielder with Dexter Fowler and Tommy Pham. St. Louis could trade right fielder Stephen Piscotty.
Matheny wouldn’t commit to an alignment.
”Something we’re appreciative of is the humility of our players to maybe go to a spot where they haven’t been before,” he said. ”You go in with your ideals of what you would like to see, and you’re going to have to be flexible.”
Center fielder Christian Yelich could be the next to exit the downsizing Marlins, bought by Bruce Sherman’s group on Oct. 2.
Miami had a $116 million payroll on Aug. 31, up from $81 million at the end of last year, and is intent on reducing obligations. Stanton was owed $295 million over the next decade, and Gordon $38 million through 2020.
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