Marcel Ozuna signed a one-year, $18 million contract with the Atlanta Braves this winter.
Ozuna did so after rejecting the one-year, $17.8 million qualifying offer from the St. Louis Cardinals earlier in the offseason.
The outfielder expected to land a multiyear deal in free agency.
\"If I knew before it was going to happen like this, I would have taken it,\" Ozuna said of the qualifying offer. \"But I wanted to make sure I had a chance (at a contract) for my career.\"
He hit .241/.328/.472 last season.
\"If they offer a good offer, I would get it,\" Ozuna said. \"But they didn\'t do it. … I thought the Cardinals were going to offer something (early), but they didn\'t do that after I rejected the qualifying offer. So, I got patient. And I waited. And I talked to my agent a lot of the time. We were waiting – and then Atlanta was the team that gave me the opportunity for the one year and a good deal. I had to do that.\"
