For Braves haters and national media members who have attempted to push the narrative that Ronald Acuña Jr. is unhappy with his current contract, the reigning 2023 NL MVP put all of that to bed with his recent comments.
“It’s no secret I want to be a Brave for life,” Acuña said in his first appearance with the media since the offseason. “That’s my hope. I hope I can stay here forever. Hopefully, we can make it happen soon.”
Acuña is currently under team control through the 2028 season. There’s no rush on the Braves end to get a deal done, but that hasn’t stopped Alex Anthopoulos before. Most of the team-friendly contracts currently on the roster are from negotiations that occurred far before the player was set to hit free agency. Acuña himself is a perfect example, as he signed a 10-year, $100 million contract extension before even playing an entire season at the major-league level.
If the Braves want to get the best bang for their buck, the earlier they hammer out an extension with Acuña, the better it will be for the team. The closer he gets to free agency, the more likely it will be that he hits the open market. If that happens, he’ll be in line for a contract north of $500 million on his current trajectory. It goes without saying, the Braves are unlikely to hand out a contract like that ever, even for a talent like Ronald Acuña Jr.
So what might an Acuña contract extension look like if it gets done in the near future?
The Venezuelan superstar will be entering his age-31 season by the time the 2029 season begins. He has five-year, $85 million left on his deal. I would venture that he will be looking for something in the range of an 8-10 year contract if he were to test free agency. There’s a chance that turns sour on the Braves towards the end, but it’s a risk Alex Anthopoulos must take if they want him to remain in Atlanta his entire career.
Austin Riley‘s recent extension was the largest contract handed out in Braves franchise history. It was a ten-year deal for $212 million with a $20 million club option for the 11th year. To say that’s a starting point for Acuña’s deal isn’t even fair.
In my opinion, the hot zone for Acuña right now would be in the $400 million range, the remaining $85 million left on his deal with $300 million added on from the extension. It’s a number that’s still below market value for arguably the top position player in the game, and it will only look better several years from now.
From Acuña’s point of view, he locks up generational wealth and removes the possibility of injuries affecting his next contract. For a player that’s already had one major surgery and dealt with several other injuries, that’s an attractive option, especially if he really does want to remain in Atlanta for the rest of his career.
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Photo: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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