In less than 30 games, Atlanta Braves superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. quickly put to rest any thought that he wouldn't be able to return to his 2023 MVP form after returning from his ACL injury. The 27-year-old has not only been the Braves best player, but also the best player in baseball.
While Acuña Jr. still has three years remaining on his deal after the 2025 season, Alex Anthopoulos and the Braves front office need to act now if they want to keep the slugger in a Braves uniform for life.
Ronald Acuña Jr. sends this one 419 feet to dead center! 😤 pic.twitter.com/2d7pFxJdcz
— MLB (@MLB) June 23, 2025
How the Braves can extend Ronald Acuña Jr. right now
The longer Acuña stays healthy and playing at an elite level, the harder it will be for the Braves to extend their cornerstone player when his contract ends. While he won't come close to touching Juan Soto's 15-year, $765 million deal, there's a decent shot he could match Aaron Judge's nine-year, $360 million deal.
Like Judge, Acuña's final year will come in his age-30 season. While Judge's walk year was historic, Acuña will have numerous All-Stars, Silver Sluggers, and at least one MVP award. Even if his base stealing days are behind him, his bat has showed no sign of slowing down.
The Braves have shown no interest in giving out $350 million deals, unfortunately. However, the club does have a bit of leverage in negotiations. Next season is technically the final guaranteed year of the eight-year deal that Acuña signed in 2019.
After 2026, the Braves have two $17 million club options. These options, of course, are a steal for the Braves for a player of Acuña's caliber. Instead of waiting out Acuña's contract to offer him an extension, the Braves could instead offer to renegotiate the club options, as well as the final guaranteed option.
This way, the Braves give Acuña more guaranteed money through 2028 than he would have otherwise earned. The Braves would likely need to add an extra $25 million to these next three years, which would bring those years from $17m a year to around $25 million per year. In exchange, Acuña gives the Braves a discount in the next seven to nine years of their new agreement.
This way, the Braves could extend their superstar for life with an average annual value (AAV) they've show they're comfortable with. If Acuña is willing to sign what would essentially be a 12-year-deal running at $300 million, the Braves would have a steal of deal, while making sure the club doesn't lose yet another franchise icon.
Acuña Jr. has expressed interest in staying with the Braves for life, but if the Braves don't act soon to keep him, he could be priced out before he's even entered the last year of his deal.