This concludes a series highlighting the biggest offseason questions facing the Braves this winter, and I saved the most important for last. If you missed any of the previous editions to this series, follow the links below.
- Should Braves trade Jorge Soler?
- How will the Braves replace Max Fried?
- Will the Braves retain A.J. Minter?
- Time to make a splash in the outfield?
- Can Braves replace Orlando Arcia?
What’s the plan for Ronald Acuña Jr.?
Unfortunately, the biggest concern for the Braves heading into 2025 is completely out of their control. Ronald Acuña Jr. — when healthy — might be the best player in baseball not named Shohei Ohtani. However, health has been a problem his entire career, and he’s now suffered a torn ACL two times over the span of four seasons.
The first time Ronald Acuña Jr. returned to the field a little over 10 months after the injury. On that timeline, he could potentially be ready for Opening Day with little restrictions. However, Acuña learned a lot from the first go-round, and he’s already said he felt like he rushed back in 2022, when he went on to have by far the worst season of his career. That’s not something he’s going to do again, as he said a little over a month ago.
“I think going into next season, I’m just gonna try to be a little more patient than the last go around,” Acuña said. “After having undergone both of these surgeries that have obviously taken a big toll, I’m just gonna be patient.”
The 2023 NL MVP also suggested the days of him stealing 40-50 bags a season might be a thing of the past.
“I’m really gonna try and focus on my hitting, my fielding, anything that I can to help the team win,” Acuña said. “In regards to running and stealing those bases, I don’t know if I’ll be able to steal the 40 or 50 bags as easily. I don’t know how that’s gonna play out in the future.”
Ronald Acuña Jr.’s main focus heading into next season?
Patience.
“Focus on my hitting, fielding and anything I can do to help the team win. I don’t know if I will be able to steal the 40 or 50 bags as easily.” pic.twitter.com/sWYo2aWG4g
— Braves On FanDuel Sports Network (@BravesOnBally) September 25, 2024
There’s a very real possibility Ronald Acuña Jr. isn’t ready for Opening Day. Even further, the Braves should be attempting to mitigate as many risks as possible, which could mean using him as a DH, either part-time or permanently.
That creates an even greater conundrum in regards to Jorge Soler and Marcell Ozuna, which I’ve already talked about at length since the season ended. Neither of them can be trusted to play the outfield. It’s essentially a foregone conclusion that one of them will be traded, and if the Braves believe what’s best for Acuña’s long-term health is for him to DH next season, it’s likely both Ozuna and Soler will not be on the roster next year.
The difficult part for the Braves is the unknown. They really don’t know how Acuña’s knee is going to feel and whether he’ll be able to play the outfield for several months. That really hamstrings Alex Anthopoulos and company, making these rough waters even more difficult to navigate this winter.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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