ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 07: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 07, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) Getty
The trade rumors surrounding Atlanta Braves' star outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. are starting to get louder.
There is growing speculation that Atlanta's front office may consider moving on from Acuña Jr. this offseason due to his inconsistent level of play in the playoffs, his upcoming contract situation, and just to turn a new leaf with the team.
BR.com recently named Acuña Jr. as the top trade candidate in all of MLB this offseason:
"The 2023 NL MVP and face of the franchise had a good-not-great 2026 season, and a quick move to scrub the Braves from his Instagram account immediately after they were eliminated from the playoffs fueled speculation a split might be on the horizon this winter. With a pair of reasonable $17 million club options for the next two seasons, his contract adds to his value rather than subtracting as is the case with some other players on this list. The asking price will be astronomical, but the return could be one of the 10 best players in the sport if he locks in and returns to peak-level production."
So, what should the Braves do with Ronald Acuña Jr.? A recent suggestion points to offloading him to the Seattle Mariners .
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GettyATLANTA, GEORGIA – OCTOBER 07: Ronald Acuna Jr. #13 of the Atlanta Braves warms up before the game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in game four of the National League Division Series at Truist Park on October 07, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
In a recent trade prediction by FanSided.com's John Perotto, the MLB writer suggests the Braves dump Acuña Jr, to the Mariners in exchange for starter Bryce Miller and reliever Matt Brash.
He wrote:
"The home crowd booed the star right fielder when the Dodgers eliminated the Braves in the NLDS last week. The following day, Acuña Jr. scrubbed his social media accounts of all Braves references. It still seems like a long shot that Acuña Jr. will be traded, though we recently covered the possibilities. After all, he's got just two non-guaranteed years left on his deal and Atlanta doesn't seem thrilled about locking up an injury-prone player through his 30s."
Is this a fair trade? The Braves are thought to need a starting pitcher, or at least a depth one, but Miller posted an ERA of 4.17 in 2926 over 21 starts. He's certainly a durable starter, but would the Braves want to offload their All-Star outfielder for a No. 4 or No. 3 (at best) starter?
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Atlanta Braves fans, should the team trade away Ronald Acuña Jr. this offseason? Why or why not?
It's easy to hypothesize over the internet, but it's a really tough decision for the front office to have to make, as Ronald Acuña Jr. (when healthy) is still one of the game's most productive players.
He posted an OPS+ of 118 this season in 408 at-bats, which suggests he's still a way above-average hitter in MLB.
He also became the fastest player in MLB history to reach 200 home runs/200 stolen bases in their career.
However, perhaps there is a disconnect or love lost between Ronald and the Atlanta Braves organization, which could lead to large amounts of speculation this offseason.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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