Will Braves live to regret their trade stance on Ronald Acuna Jr.?

Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Will Braves live to regret their trade stance on Ronald Acuna Jr.?

By Andrew Wright | Last updated Nov 10, 2026 8:07 PM ET

It appears that one potential MLB offseason trade candidate will not be going anywhere.

Ronald Acuna will not be traded away from the Atlanta Braves

Atlanta Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos spoke to media members Tuesday and during that, he was asked about the future of star right fielder Ronald Acuna Jr. in Atlanta.

Acuna's name has been thrown around in trade rumors since the Braves were eliminated from the postseason. A trade, though, isn't something that will be taking place according to Anthopoulos.

"We are not trading Ronald Acuña Jr. Put it in bold," Anthopoulos said Tuesday. "There have been zero conversations. No phone calls incoming, outgoing, zero. He’s a huge part of the club."

#Braves Alex Anthopoulos: "We are not trading Ronald Acuña Jr. Put it in bold."

Anthopoulos said there have been zero calls outgoing or incoming on trading Acuña. Any rumors are completely unfounded.

Anthopoulos added:
"We need him. We need to add to him."
— Grant McAuley (@grantmcauley) November 10, 2026

Ronald Acuna Jr. has struggled with staying healthy in recent seasons

A major reason for Acuna's name being included in trade rumors is because of his inability to stay on the field.

Acuna has suffered from two torn ACLs since the 2021 season, something that has allowed him to play in just 628 of a possible 972 games (62.8%) in that span. The lone season Acuna was fully healthy was in 2023, when he put together a monster season and was named MVP.

That's been the outlier, though, as he's appeared in 100-plus games just one time since his MVP season. He played 107 games in 2026 but left multiple games early with injuries.

Ronald Acuña Jr. leaves the game with an injury. Since signing his 8-year, $100 million extension in 2019, he has suffered multiple injuries and has only played more than 100 games in two seasons. #MLB pic.twitter.com/6qckUn8bHg
— Mike Rodriguez (@mikedeportes) June 10, 2026

RONALD ACUÑA JR. 40-70!!! ONE OF ONE!!! MVP!!!! pic.twitter.com/f649Gowmzj
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) September 28, 2023

Ronald Acuna Jr. healthy will need to prove he is durable and still an elite talent

It is clear that despite health concerns, the Braves have no plans to part ways with their star right fielder. If that is indeed the case, Acuna will have to reward the organization's trust in him with a fully healthy season.

Acuna is likely still one of the most talented players in the league, but the question is can he stay healthy long enough to prove it? If so, Acuna could remove all doubts of not being an elite player anymore.

If he is unable to stay healthy, though, the Braves and Anthopoulos may regret not moving off Acuna while he still had a bit of trade value left.

Andrew Wright

Andrew "Dew" Wright graduated from Charleston Southern University with a degree in Communication Studies. He is a lifelong Chicago Cubs and Washington Commanders fan.

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