MLB Network continues to float incredibly stupid Braves trade idea

The 2025 season is one everybody in Braves Country would like to forget. Atlanta was given the second-best odds of any team to win the World Series, behind only the Los Angeles Dodgers, and projected to win 95+ games. Instead, the Braves find themselves 15 games under .500 and crawling towards the finish line, pleading for the season to come to an end.

For the Braves to be this bad, very little has gone right. Injuries have once again plagued the club, but this team was struggling well before guys started to go down. Underperformances from most of their All-Star talents are much more concerning, which has some in the national media questioning whether the Braves championship window has been slammed shut.

Nobody should have a problem with those narratives being floated today. The Braves have been trending downwards over the last two seasons and don’t have a lot of room to maneuver due to the fact that nearly their entire core is locked into long-term contracts. It’s possible the good ole’ days with this group have already passed by, even if the organization still only has one goal on its mind.

Braves GM Alex Anthopoulos has made it very clear that the club plans to use all of its resources to compete in 2026. They are going to give it at least one more run before thinking about seriously shaking things up. But that’s not stopping the guys over at MLB Network from floating one of the worst narratives in all of sports: the Braves should consider trading former NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr.

Is it time to explore the possibility of trading Ronald Acuña Jr.?

Greg, @Plesac19 and Harold discuss on #MLBTonight. pic.twitter.com/qCXC7u79kW

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) September 8, 2025

The idea that, after one down season, the Braves should scrap their entire team and rebuild, including trading away the biggest sports star in the entire city, is nothing short of insane. There’s a path forward where this team can compete again in 2026, and you don’t even have to squint that hard to see it.

But even if the Braves did get the itch to trade Ronald Acuña Jr. for whatever reason, why in the hell would they think about doing it right now? He still has three more years of team control left on his contract at $17 million per season. The Braves could trade him in a year, or even two years, and still completely replenish their farm system with top level talent.

It’s also disappointing to see the network that represents the league spread misinformation. The Braves didn’t win the World Series without Ronald Acuña Jr. They never even get there if he didn’t carry the club through the first half of the season while putting up MVP numbers before going down with a torn ACL.

Why these conversations are happening about a top five player that plays for an organization that’s been to the playoffs in seven out of eight seasons when October baseball is around the corner is mind-boggling. One would think there are more important — and realistic — topics to discus this time of year.

Ratings must be tough to come by these days. But if you’re going to float the idea of trading a top-five player in baseball with three years of team control left, at least come prepared with some facts. Otherwise, it’s not a serious conversation—it’s just noise.

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Photo: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire

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