Well, this ought to get the fireworks started early. No better way to begin the Fourth of July other than an absolute fireworks show and that’s what we’ve come across in the baseball world. Now by the title, I know what you are all thinking. However, this did not come out of nowhere. This feels very much like Jeff Passan just speaking his mind and talking about Paul Skenes getting traded. The reasoning behind it is very valid, even though unlikely at this time. For the Braves and Ronald Acuna Jr, could be the same case, but there is an argument for it.

On MLB Now, Joel Sherman made a compelling case to trading a the super star outfielder. Carlos Peña also made a very good point as well regarding this discussion.

“You have to put your emotions aside and figure out what you need to do. Am I saying that they need to blow it up? Yes, I am.”

That’s not what Braves fans want to hear nor see. But the fact of the matter is, is this is the second year in a row where things are not going as planned. They now find themselves further out of the playoff mix and are on the same level as the Marlins record wise. Do they blow it up? Should the coordinate a plan? Personally, I do think trading him actually makes sense for not just the present, but the future.

Trading Acuna Jr Actually Makes Sense

Do I think the Braves trade him in season? No I don’t. Moves of this nature take time and require a plan. But moving him does make sense for the Braves long term outlook.

This is a Braves team that is now four years removed from winning the World Series. They lost to their hated rivals in the Phillies back to back years in the NLDS and then mightily struggled during the 2024 season. They somehow made the playoffs by the skin of their teeth, but battled injury after injury, which included losing Ronald Acuna Jr for the season. At that point, you chalked it up as an outlier year and the team was snakebitten by injury and there was a path to returning to being better.

This is a team that in 2023 had the best offense in all of baseball. They scored the most runs, had the most home runs and RBI’s, and ranked first in average, on base percentage, and slugging. It was truly magical and the crazy part is, a lot of that roster is still very much intact.

Now, this offense in its entirety has been an utter mess in 2025. Despite having one of the better rotations in the game of baseball, the offense continues to let them down. They are 24th in runs, and have struggled to hit for power and they have lost a lot of one run games. Good baseball teams find ways to win those games and the Braves have failed to do so. Worst part, is they only have three players that are hitting 20% or better than league average. One of them is Ronald Acuna Jr.

He has only played a month and is one of the best hitters in the sport. Acuna Jr is hitting .346 with a 1.063 OPS and has a wOBA of .455. His 194 wRC+ speaks volumes. Even with that production, the Braves have still struggled and have gone 15-21 with him. So even with him in the fold, they are not a very good baseball team. Which is why trading him makes sense.

You have no Chris Sale and now no Spencer Schwellenbach. The season felt lost the moment it started, but reality is setting in that this team doesn’t have it this season. Way too many players that aren’t delivering on their end of things and it’s time to truly plan for the future.

The Braves have tough decisions to make. Do they trade Matt Olson or Austin Riley? Sean Murphy also feels like he’s well out the door sooner than later. But no player on this roster brings the type of return that Acuna Jr does for the Braves.

When Freddie Freeman signed with the Dodgers via free agency, the Braves’ farm system ranked 3rd in the league. Now? 26th. So even if the team wanted to go out and make a splash, they do not have the trade chips to do so. Acuna is showing that he cannot do it all alone.

Take a look at the Red Sox for example. Now, if they truly shopped Rafael Devers more, they could’ve gotten a better return. But they did get a good pitching prospect in Kyle Harrison, a pitcher with experience in Jordan Hicks and Tibbs, who was taken one pick after Montgomery (who the Red Sox drafted). The Red Sox aren’t essentially punting on the season, but they did trade their best bat for a lot of pieces to help them now and the future. That’s the approach the Braves need to have.

Do the Braves think they are good? Do they think this is another outlier season where they’ll just bounce back next year? Or should they remove feelings aside and make the tough decisions and answer the hard questions. Because Acuna Jr has the best value of any player on this roster and could land you a prospect haul and MLB ready players.

Also, Acuna Jr has two more years left on his deal. He signed a bargain of a deal worth $100 million. Since then, he’s won the MVP Award (2023) and is putting together a compelling case to win another despite missing all that time. Given the contracts we’ve seen given out (Juan Soto; $800 million) and Vladimir Guerrero Jr ($500 million), you now ask yourself if the Braves are going to pay that type of money. In my opinion, it starts in the $300 million range and will only go higher. If the Braves aren’t going to pay him the market value, letting him walk is malpractice.

There are rumblings that the Braves could decline Ozzie Albies’ option and Michael Harris II has been one of the worst bats in the league this season. It seems like the walls are crumbling down and the writing is on the wall.

As tough as it would be to see Acuna Jr leave, it might be the type of move they do make to put themselves in better position to have success in the near future.