Ronald Acuna Jr established himself as one of the best young players in baseball with an outstanding season in 2018, and the Atlanta Braves are not going to risk losing the outfielder in free agency a few years down the road.
ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that Acuna and the Braves have agreed to a new eight-year, $100 million contract.
BREAKING: Outfielder Ronald Acuña and the Atlanta Braves are finalizing an eight-year, $100 million contract extension, league sources tell ESPN. The deal includes two club options.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 2, 2019
Jon Heyman of Fancred added that the deal also includes two club options, meaning the team has the option to keep him through 2028.
Acuna, Braves get deal done for $100M, 8 years plus 2 club options.
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) April 2, 2019
Acuna, 21, had several seasons of arbitration eligibility remaining and was not scheduled to become a free agent until after the 2023 season. The Braves obviously believe his .293 average, .366 on-base percentage, 26 home runs and .918 OPS in just 111 games last season were not a fluke, so the new contract is a good way for them to guarantee him more money while also retaining him at a salary that will be well below market value if he continues to play like he did in 2018.
In addition to putting up big numbers in the regular season, Acuna proved in the NLDS that the postseason stage is not too big for him. The new contract seems like a good deal for both sides.
