Atlanta Braves shoot down ridiculous Ronald Acuna Jr. trade rumor

There are always going to be ridiculous trade rumors every offseason. Such is the case with the Atlanta Braves and Ronald Acuna Jr.

For some ridiculous reason, there had been speculation that the Braves could put Acuna on the trade block this offseason. Perhaps the idea was that the Braves need to find some extra money in their budget and that Acuna did struggle compared to his typical production last year. As he is coming back from a major injury, maybe the idea was that the Braves would want to move on from his long term deal while they still can.

Atlanta Braves holding on to Ronald Acuna Jr.

Whatever the reasoning, those rumors can be put to rest. The Braves have made it clear that Acuna is not going anywhere despite any claims otherwise.

Yes, Acuna did not live up to expectations last season. His .266/.351/.413 batting line led to a mere 114 OPS+, a relatively mortal number comparatively. Acuna hit just 15 homers and 24 doubles in his 533 plate appearances, and while he stole 29 bases, he was caught a league leading 11 times.

But that also makes sense. Acuna had torn his ACL last season and was still working his way back. He may have been completely healthy but it still takes time to fully trust the body after a major injury like that.

The Braves have every reason to wait and let Acuna return to form. He is under team control through 2028, his $17 million per season is an incredible bargain for someone who is an MVP caliber player. His blend of power and speed is virtually unmatched in the game. The Braves are not going to get anything back that would make the idea of trading Acuna even remotely viable.

The Atlanta Braves shot down any speculation that they are looking to trade Ronald Acuna Jr. Such rumors never made sense in the first place.