When most superstars are involved in trade rumors, it feels like the bidding market is populated by the big-market teams.
And sure, if the trade speculation about Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. is true, it could feel a decent amount like that for him, too.
There’s something different about Acuña, though, which could make his trade pursuit highly unusual.
Don’t be surprised — in a world where the Braves decide they want to trade Acuña — if there are a few unexpected teams in the mix.
There’s a very clear reason why that might happen.
What Makes Ronald Acuña Jr. Trade Rumors Different
Simply put, Acuña has a contract that would lend itself to more teams getting involved than usual.
He presently reached the final standard year of his deal with the Braves, but both the 2027 and 2028 seasons are governed by club options.
That means as long as the team that has Acuña activates his club option, they keep him for the given season.
Each club option year for Acuña comes in with a salary of $17 million.
That means that a team can exercise the option for 2027 and pay Acuña $17 million for that season, and then do it again in 2028.
And to be clear — $17 million is a bargain for Acuña, even if he’s just a star now and not a total superstar.
But here’s the thing — relative to other stars, that’s also a cheap contract. Smaller-market teams could pay that dollar amount.
Just for example, the notoriously cheap Cleveland Guardians pay Jose Ramirez more than that. The bargain-shopping Cincinnati Reds wanted to pay Kyle Schwarber much more than that last offseason.
Top teams like the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers, who don’t dish out a ton of money, wouldn’t have to shy away from $17 million if they didn’t want to.
Obviously, that also increases what the Braves could ask for in return in a trade, but it’s interesting to consider.
Acuña, because of his contract, isn’t just an option for the richest teams. He might be in play for everyone.
Would Braves Trade Ronald Acuña Jr?
Bleacher Report’s Joel Reuter, in a new article on Monday, listed Acuña as his top trade chip in the entire offseason.
That suggests that there’s at least potential momentum toward a deal.
“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,” Reuter writes. “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.”
For the sake of intrigue, an Acuña trade would certainly be fascinating. There’d genuinely be no way to know where he’d land, and almost every team in the league could throw a bid in.
Braves’ Ronald Acuña Jr. Trade Chatter is Different