There is no doubt that the end of last season was difficult for Ronald Acuña Jr., as he struggled at the plate during the playoffs. The former MVP didn’t look like himself, and fans were growing frustrated with his at-bats.
Acuña is one of the best players in the game when healthy, but he was slumping at the plate during the postseason. It got so bad at one point that fans began booing him. Acuña wasn’t angry, but instead disappointed that he wasn’t doing enough to help his team.
“That’s the first time that they boo me here at home, but I can’t control that,” Acuña said after Game 3 of the NLDS. “It’s hard because I didn’t do anything (to help) my team or my teammates. It’s the hardest time.”
After the Braves were eliminated by the Los Angeles Dodgers, Acuña was asked about his future in Atlanta. He made it clear that he wanted to stay, but acknowledged that the decision wasn’t his to make.
“I want to stay here, that hasn’t changed. But I can’t control that,” Acuña told the media.
As the offseason moves forward, all eyes will be on the possibility of an Acuña trade. However, Braves insider Mark Bowman doesn’t believe it will happen, pointing to the motivation Acuña should bring into the 2027 season.
“If the Braves were in a rebuild mode, moving Acuña might make some sense. But this team will enter 2027 with aspirations to do more than just advance to the postseason for the ninth time in the past 10 seasons. At the same time, Acuña will be motivated to regain his place among the game’s elite and further strengthen his market before he becomes a free agent after the 2028 season. It would seemingly be wise for the Braves to take advantage of this chance to benefit from a determined and hopefully healthy Acuña over the next two years,” Bowman wrote.
Acuña wants to get back to the healthiest version of himself. He proved during the regular season that when he’s playing at his best, he remains one of the most dangerous players in the game. Atlanta knows what the right fielder is capable of, giving the organization plenty of reason to keep him.
The Braves and Acuña have already been through so much together that trading him would be a significant move. Atlanta would be wise to keep a fully motivated Acuña on its roster, especially if he enters 2027 looking to prove himself again.
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