Why Ronald Acuna Jr. won’t be with Braves for entire career despite contract extension desire

On Friday, Ronald Acuna Jr. told reporters he wants to finish his career with the Atlanta Braves. But if you know anything about the Braves, you know that probably won’t happen.”It’s no secret that I want to be brave all my life. I hope we can do that soon,” Acuna told David Oand#039;Brien of The Athletic.Itand#039; it really isn’t surprising that Acuna, the reigning National League MVP last season, is hinting at a contract extension. That would have been the final year of his original contract with Atlanta. Heand is far from blind or stupid as we see him outrun opposing pitchers. But he also sees the fat contracts signed by his peers, including last year’s MVP and American League champion Shohei Ohtani, who just signed a 10-year, $700 million deal with the Dodgers.Let’s not go too crazy and say Akuna is Ohtani. I mean, Akuna didn’t reach the pitcher and yet. But after a remarkable 2023 in which the Braves’ leadoff hitter broke records, notably going 40-70 with home runs (41) and stolen bases (73), he wouldn’t have signed an 8-year, $100 million extension in 2019. Akuna would be a hot topic this upcoming season as Ohtani had an off year for the Angels last year.Fair earns $17 million this season, which is the lowest salary compared to players like him – considering their age, contract and stats. Those players are Francisco Lindor ($34.1 million), Carlos Correa ($33.33 million), Rafael Devers ($31.35 million) and Trea Turner ($31.2 million), according to Spotrac.If you’re a seasoned baseball fan, you know the Braves are making a big offer for Acuna. Atlanta is known for team friendly deals. They currently have seven players, including Acuna, in a Braves uniform through at least 2028 and on either six-, seven-, eight- or 10-year contracts. Austin Riley has the longest and most lucrative contract at 10 years, $212 million and an average salary of $21.2 million per season.We know from history that Yankees pay; but not the bravest. Acuna had to watch two of his teammates join other teams over the last two years in first baseman Freddie Freeman and Dansby Swanson, both of whom were considered Braves lifers, as Acuna wants to be.But as much as Akuna wants to talk to Braves higher-ups like general manager Alex Anthopoulos, the fact is the Braves operate on their own terms — they have no problem letting players go to other teams. This is especially true for aging players looking for long-term contracts.The Braves allowed Freeman to become a Dodger at 31 and Swanson at 29 at the same time. If the Braves pick up Acuna’s club options for both 2027 and 2028, he will become a free agent next year at age 31.You would think that if Akuna wanted to finish his career in Atlanta, an extension would be somewhere between 8-10 years, $300-380 million. It is highly unlikely that the Braves would ever make such an offer.Back to Riley, he’ll be 37 when he becomes a free agent after a 10-year, $212 million contract. Unless there is a massive change in the top management of the Braves, the Bravesand#039; If you want to play in Atlanta, the way to go is to sign young players to long-term, subcontracts and then ask them to accept below-market extensions. But it’s also important to remember that starting in July 2023, the Braves will be a public company. This means that every dollar they earn is put back into the team. The problem is the possibility that Acuna may not stay with the team in the future, as the Braves may not want to spend a large portion of their revenue to keep him..