Boston Red Sox closing in on a deal with Marcell Ozuna, but there's a condition

The Boston Red Sox quickly went from being one of the biggest contenders in the American League to not even making the playoffs in the shortened MLB season, so it’s clear that they need do something right now.

Boston let go of multiple stars, including Mookie Betts, and David Price. Obviously, that took a toll on their ability to compete at the highest level. Now, they’re trying to get back to contention without spending that much money.

That’s why, according to multiple reports, they’re trying to close in on a deal with former Atlanta Braves star Marcell Ozuna. However, they’ll need to keep the universal DH rule for that move to be more likely, according to ESPN’s DaveSchoenfield.

Marcell Ozuna Could Join The Red Sox If They Keep The Universal DH Rule

“It’s not that Ozuna can’t play left field, but this is why he really needs the DH rule to be added,” Schoenfield started. “Don’t rule out a return to the Braves even without the universal DH, but maybe the Red Sox fit here, even with Martinez signed for two more seasons. Ozuna can take left field for a couple of seasons (especially in left field, a la Manny Ramirez), with Alex Verdugo and a hopefully healthy Andrew Benintendi manning the other two outfield spots. If it’s a long-term contract, Ozuna moves to DH after 2022. Signing Ozuna doesn’t feel like a Chaim Bloom move, but if you’re buying his 2020 level he could put up some numbers mashing home runs over the Green Monster,” he concluded.

The Atlanta Braves are years ahead of the Boston Red Sox in terms of contention, and keeping Marcell Ozuna on board would be huge for them. His fit is questionable in Boston, but it’s clear that they need more firepower to get back to the top of the league.