The Atlanta Braves‘ window of being a legit World Series contender appears to be closing.
The Braves are 39-46 and are unlikely to make the playoffs this season. With that, MLB analyst Joel Sherman believes general manager Alex Anthopoulos and Atlanta’s front office should make a stunning move and trade Ronald Acuna Jr. to start a rebuild.
“Should they trade Acuna right now? Here would be my argument to the Atlanta Braves front office on why it would be valuable to do this right now…,” Sherman said on MLB Now. “Can you see a championship in the next few years? I don’t, because (Ozzie) Albies has gone the wrong way, (Michael) Harris (II) has gone the wrong way, (Chris) Sale will be 37 next year, you don’t have depth in your farm system.
“This has been a great period for the Braves. Seven straight years in the playoffs, six division titles, one championship,” Sherman added. “By the way, we won that championship without Acuna. He got hurt. We played the last four months of last season without Acuna and made the playoffs again. By the way, we have a better record this year without Acuna than with Acuna.”
Acuna is under team control through 2028, but the final two years of his eight-year, $100 million deal are club options.
Although Acuna is one of the top players in the MLB, Sherman thinks it would be wise for the Braves to at least explore the trade market for the star outfielder.
“Do we want to try to take another seven-year run? I would say let’s have a serious meeting about whether it’s time to do that,” Sherman added. “Acuna, in this marketplace without offensive players of this stature, you could make the Juan Soto trade. Who can I make the Juan Soto trade with?”
Acuna is hitting .346 with 9 home runs and 18 RBIs in just 36 games.
Analyst Believes Mariners Should Trade for Acuna
If the Braves do at least explore trading Acuna, Sherman believes the team should call the Seattle Mariners.
Sherman points to the Mariners’ clear need for a right fielder and a star player to help Seattle become a legitimate World Series contender.
The Mariners also are loaded with Top 100 prospects, and Sherman believes they could package multiple of them to acquire Acuna in a Juan Soto-like deal that the Washington Nationals got from the San Diego Padres.
“Now I have to talk to the Seattle Mariners, who have made the playoffs one time since 2001. They are the only one of the 30 teams that have never made the World Series,” Sherman added. “They are about to let the Zombie Astros win the division again, because they haven’t taken advantage. Their right field production is the worst in the sport. Do you know what they have in the last Baseball America rankings? Nine, Top 100 prospects. They have a lot of duplication in the middle infield. What do the Braves need? Is there a Soto trade to be made here?”
The Mariners are holding onto the final Wild Card spot.
Acuna Named Starting Outfielder for All-Star Game
Although Acuna didn’t make his season debut until May 23, he has been stellar since returning from injury and was named a starting outfielder for the All-Star Game.
Acuna will start the game in Atlanta on July 15, and he’s honored to be named a starter.
“I really have to just give credit to all the fans, because I missed a lot of playing time and without them, I’m not here,” Acuna said. “They’re really the ones who made this dream come true.”
Braves manager Brian Snitker expects Acuna to put on a show for the hometown fans.
“He’s an exciting player, and I think people are going to want to see him play, just as I would,” Snitker said. “He’s going to put on a great show, and I’m sure he’s proud that he’s going to be representing Atlanta.”
Acuna is a five-time All-Star and a one-time NL MVP.
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