*This is a prediction*
The idea of Ronald Acuña Jr being traded may sound a bit wild, as he’s one of the biggest names in baseball. While a trade involving Acuña doesn’t seem extremely realistic, we’ll be diving into a mock trade idea that includes the Seattle Mariners.
This mock trade idea comes from Zachary D. Rymer’s (Bleacher Report) article called, “Pitching Unpopular MLB Offseason Trade Ideas”. As the headline would suggest, these are all massive trade ideas.
The main reason why this sounds a bit far-fetched at first is that Acuña is still 27 years old. If a player of Acuña’s caliber is ever going to get traded, it’s typically at the end of their career. In their 30s at the very least.
However, crazier things have happened in the MLB, so we shouldn’t say never. Here’s the mock trade from Rymer and the final verdict on whether this deal for Acuña could make sense.
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Atlanta Braves Trading Ronald Acuña Jr to the Seattle Mariners
Here’s what Rymer had to say about Acuña and what a mock trade should look like.
“On the other hand, he’s had two torn ACLs in the last five years. The downstream effects are impossible to ignore, as he has largely stopped stealing bases and has become one of the worst right fielders in the league, to boot…Seattle Mariners get RF Ronald Acuña Jr.; Atlanta Braves get RHP Logan Gilbert, RF Lazaro Montes (Mariners No. 2)”
While you can see where he’s coming from, Acuña is still getting his legs back under him. At only 27 years old, it doesn’t seem impossible at all for Acuña to get back to his former self.
Even last year, Acuña had a Batting Run Value of 33 (96th percentile), Baserunning Run Value of two (82nd percentile), and Fielding Run Value of -8 (7th percentile) according to Baseball Savant.
On the box score that resulted in a season with 3.0 WAR, 21 home runs, .290 batting average, and .417 OBP. Regardless of the downside, this package just doesn’t seem like enough for the Braves to part ways with Acuña.
Does Ronald Acuña Jr Fit with the Seattle Mariners?
On the Seattle Mariners’ side, this should be an easy decision for them. Logan Gilbert is a great player for them, but adding Acuña to your roster has to be an easy move. It’s not as if the Mariners are giving a ton of their future value either.
In terms of the Mariners’ possible lineup in 2026, you find room for Acuña regardless of who you have right now. Right now, Victor Robles is the projected right fielder per Fangraphs, and this would be a massive upgrade.
Last year, Robles had 106 at-bats in which he had -0.2 WAR, one home run, a .245 batting average, and .281 OBP. Robles was a lot better in 2024, but when comparing him to Acuña, though, it’s not very close.
Ronald Acuña Jr Contract
Right now, Acuña is playing on his eight year, $100 million contract with the Braves. Now, the one thing to note is that Acuña does become a free agent in 2029 per Spotrac.
If the Braves don’t have Acuña in their long-term plans, making a trade could be the right move. While the Seattle Mariners would love to have Ronald Acuña Jr, it’s hard to see this deal actually happening.