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."