Why Braves Are Right to Not Consider Ronald Acuña Jr. Trade

The Atlanta Braves are wise to push aside speculation they could trade star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. before the 2023 MLB season.

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported Monday the Braves are "not considering trading" Acuña, who's under club control through 2028 as part of an eight-year, $100 million contract he signed in April 2019.

It's a continuation of Atlanta's club stance that players who sign long-term deals aren't available in deals despite not having a no-trade clause in their contract, per Rosenthal.

Acuña's numbers sagged for much of the 2022 season, including just 15 home runs in 119 games, as he continued to fight through pain in his surgically repaired right knee after suffering a torn ACL last year. His .764 OPS was well below his career .887 mark.

"It's terrible. We're just going to play through it until the season's over," the 24-year-old slugger told reporters in late August about the status of his knee.

The Venezuela native had previously been one of MLB's most dynamic players, highlighted by nearly achieving a 40-40 season in 2019 with 41 homers and 37 stolen bases.

Those two factors—the continued recovery from a major injury and his career-worst numbers—are the main reasons trading Acuña this winter would be a mistake.

The latter stages of the recovery are often just as much of a mental hurdle as a physical one, and the three-time All-Star's guarded movement in the outfield throughout the season had the look of a player not totally confident in the joint.

Having a normal offseason of rest and recovery should give him a strong chance to show up to spring training in a much better position heading into 2023.

Meanwhile, trying to trade Acuña now would be a prime example of selling low. His value given the dip in performance and physical uncertainty is probably at its lowest point ever, and there's every reason to believe he'll be more productive next season.

Even a modest bounce back year from the two-time Silver Slugger Award winner would make his $17 million salary a bargain.

So there's really no reason to even consider an Acuña trade at this stage, especially since the front office is already in a position where it may have to fill one key spot in the lineup if shortstop Dansby Swanson leaves in free agency.

Acuña should remain a franchise cornerstone in Atlanta for the foreseeable future.