The Atlanta Braves need to trade Ronald Acuña, Jr. Seriously. They really need to do it. No, this was not written for shock value or simply to get clicks. I’m not kidding. Why in the world would the Braves need to trade a former National League Most Valuable Player who turns 28 in December and is under Atlanta’s control for the next three seasons?
Well, there are several reasons. First, even with Acuña not eligible to leave via free agency until after the 2028 season, we know the history of this franchise. It allowed FreddiFreeman anDansby Swansoon and then Max Fri—three
ee huge pieces of the 2021 World Series teto walk out the door as free agents. There is nconfidence thatat ownershipwhichat is pinching pennies for some reason, will pay for Acuña for the long term.
there was more faith thatith they want to keep their own talent, it likely wouldn’t be as much of an issue. But can general manager Alex Anthopoulos truly let another star player leave without getting anything in return? If he did, that might be Anthopoulos’s legacy instead of being a GM that created a championship roster. There is little doubt the Braves have gone down since winning it all four years ago, and you can’t ignore the contributioFreeman Swansonson and Fried made, not only in that season, but in this era Braves baseball.
ll.There is reason to question whether this ownership group could or would pay for the type of contract possibly needed to retain Acuña. Recently, a tweet circulated that showed the revenue and payroll of each MLB team. The Braves had the 6th most revenue in 2($489 million),ion) but the 2025 payroll was only $235 million, which was the 9th highest in baseball. But that was only 46.1% of the revenue spent on the payroll, which was 17th in the sport. That percentage would have to increase to afford a contract that would undoubtedly surpass $30 million per season ― or possibly even more depending on how healthy Acuña can stay the next three years. If he has full, injury-free seasons, that figure could surpass $40 million per season. I don’t believe they’d give Acuña that sort of deal. Another reason is Acuña’s age. He will be 31 years old in March 2029 when his new contract would take over. In three of the last five years, he’s missed good chunks of the season. He’s already had two rebuilt knees. How is Acuña going to age? How durable is he going to be? Is he going to stay healthy? Will Acuña’s skills diminish, almost like Andruw Jones’ did after he had beaten up his body in his 20s with all the diving in the outfield?
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