At least a decent-sized portion of the fan base would not lose sleep if the Braves decided to trade Ronald Acuña Jr. this offseason.
The 2023 NL MVP is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career, which his postseason performance only emphasized. He has just two years left on his contract, with the Braves seemingly unlikely to re-sign him, and the injury concerns that come with him are as high as they get in this league.
Those all make a case for why now would be the best time to cash in on their investment and move on, but MLB insiders across the industry aren’t buying it. Jon Heyman was the first to say a month ago that the Braves trading Acuña should be considered a long shot, even if teams will call. And now Jon Morosi is reporting that a move like that this offseason should be considered “highly unlikely.”
A Ronald Acuña Jr. trade this offseason is seen as highly unlikely, as I said on @MLBNetwork a few moments ago.
Acuña is entering the final guaranteed year of his contract with the Braves, who hold a club option for 2028.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 9, 2026
An Acuña trade really only makes sense in one scenario: the Braves feel like it’s time for a complete rebuild. That’s just not the position this organization is in right now. They’ve made the playoffs in every season since 2018 outside of one, and are coming off a 94-win campaign that saw them win the NL East. This is a contending team trying to make the necessary improvements to win a championship, and those types of clubs should never be interested in trading away their best players.
The reality is the best way for the Braves to win a championship is with Ronald Acuña Jr. staying healthy and producing a season similar to the one we saw a few years ago. He’s the kind of offensive talent who can carry an entire club in October, and while it hasn’t happened yet, the past isn’t always a good indicator of what’s going to happen in the future — especially not in the sport of baseball.
We’ve seen guys struggle in the playoffs early in their careers, then become postseason demons once they experience the slightest bit of success. It wasn’t that long ago that people were saying similar things about Freddie Freeman. Now he’s won three championships to go along with a World Series MVP.
Similarly, Atlanta didn’t entertain trade offers for Freeman despite him being on the tail end of his contract. The star first baseman ended up walking for free to the Dodgers, and what did the Braves get out of it? A World Series trophy.
I would say they are just fine living with that decision. If winning a championship is Atlanta’s goal in 2027, they should have no interest in trading the best player on the team.
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Update
Not long after his original tweet, Jon Morosi took it even a step further, announcing the Braves will not engage in any calls surrounding Ronald Acuña Jr. this offseason.
Further to this: I have heard the Braves have no interest in moving Acuña and will not engage with teams if they inquire. https://t.co/YGoNY5G6w5
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 9, 2026
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