With his recent remarks, Ronald Acuña Jr., the reigning 2023 NL MVP, dispelled the claims made by Braves detractors and members of the national media that he is dissatisfied with his current contract.
In his first media appearance since the offseason, Acuña declared, “It’s no secret I want to be a Brave for life.” That is my aspiration. Wish I could stay here indefinitely. Hopefully, we can get it done quickly.
For the 2028 season, Acuña is now under team control. The Braves are not in a hurry to finalize a deal, but Alex Anthopoulos has persevered in the past despite this. The majority of the player contracts that are now on the roster that are favorable to the franchise were negotiated far in advance of the player’s scheduled free agency. Acuña is a prime example, having signed a $100 million, 10-year deal extension before participating in a full big league season.
The sooner the Braves and Acuña work out an extension, the better off the team will be if they want to obtain the most value for their money. It is increasingly likely that he will enter the open market the closer he gets to free agency. If that occurs, based on his present trajectory, he may be in line for a contract for more than $500 million. Of course, the Braves would never give out a contract like that, not even to a player with Ronald Acuña Jr.’s caliber.
Thus, how might an extension of the Acuña contract look like if it happens soon?
By the time the 2029 season starts, the Venezuelan superstar will be in his age-31 season. He still has $85 million left on his five-year contract. If he were to test free agency, I would hazard to guess that he would be looking for something in the neighborhood of an eight or ten year contract. If Alex Anthopoulos wants to play his entire career in Atlanta, he will have to take a chance that could turn sour towards the end for the Braves.
The biggest deal ever awarded to a Braves team was Austin Riley’s recent agreement. The $212 million contract was for ten years, with an additional $20 million club option for the eleventh year. It’s not even fair to say that’s where Acuña’s deal starts.
The $400 million mark, which includes the $300 million brought on from the extension and the remaining $85 million on his contract, is, in my opinion, Acuña’s current hot zone. Even for the player who is undoubtedly the best in the game, that number is still below market value, and it won’t get much better for a few years.
From Acuña’s perspective, he secures money passed down through generations and eliminates the chance that injuries may damage his next deal. That’s a tempting choice for a player who has already undergone one major surgery and has had to cope with other injuries, particularly if he truly wants to finish his career in Atlanta.