Ronald Acuña Jr. reiterates desire to spend entire career with Braves

Gabriel Burns, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Jul 3, 2025

Published in Baseball

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ATLANTA — As Ronald Acuña Jr. answered questions about securing his fifth All-Star appearance — he’ll be starting in right field for the National League at Truist Park in a couple of weeks — he decided to share a career desire.

Acuña, in his eighth season with the Braves, reiterated his desire to spend his entire career with one franchise when asked what the city and community mean to him.

“Outside of Venezuela, Atlanta is my second home,” Acuña said via team interpreter Franco Garcia. “I love being here. I want to continue being in this organization and being part of this organization for the rest of my career. I’m comfortable here. I like it here. I feel like I know everyone. So for me, it’d be a dream to be able to stay here.”

It’s logical for Acuña to express hope he’ll remain in Atlanta. He’s already one of the most accomplished players in team history, an MVP winner (2023), multi-time All-Star and creator of the 40-70 club. Many, including Braves Hall of Famer Chipper Jones, have declared him the most talented player to wear the uniform.

The Braves have contractual control with Acuña through 2028. He’s signed through 2026, and the team has two club options in 2027-28, all valued at $17 million a season. That’s extremely team-friendly, obviously, especially as young stars continue to receive record deals in this landscape.

But with Acuña not hitting free agency until after his age-30 season, does it make financial sense for the Braves to commit a mega deal to a player entering that stage of his career? It’d need to be a contract so rich that it’d dissuade him from testing free agency. And having already suffered two ACL tears, it’s fair to wonder how excited the Braves would be about signing the player through his mid-to-late 30s.

On the other hand, the team would secure a potential Hall of Famer for the remainder of his career, and that value can extend well beyond his on-field production. Acuña has repeatedly proven he’s one-of-one, an exceptional performer who might be the best talent current Braves fans see in their lifetimes.

There are certainly cases to be made for both viewpoints. But it shouldn’t be high on the list of priorities right now given everything else happening with the franchise. The Braves are on track to miss the postseason for the first time in eight years. They have a myriad of needs to address this winter, including upgrading the offense, retooling the bullpen and potentially finding a new manager and coaching staff.

Acuña, who owns a 1.076 OPS in 35 games since returning from his latest ACL tear, will be heavily featured during the All-Star festivities. He’ll hit in the Home Run Derby July 14, his third time participating in the event, and take right field for the NL team a day later.