Braves pull off robbery to keep Acuna long term
Bill Shanks Columnist
For the last few weeks, there has been a lot of angst toward the Braves front office and absentee owner Liberty Media. We'll pause the anger for why the team doesn't have a better bullpen to now thank them for pulling off a robbery.
Ronald Acuna cashed in a lottery ticket Tuesday afternoon. He met with the media in Atlanta and couldn't stop smiling. He had agreed to a deal earlier in the day that could pay him $124 million over the next decade.
The scary thing, however, is Acuna's smile wasn't even the biggest in the room. That belonged to general manager Alex Anthopoulos, who somehow pulled this off.
Yes, getting a player of Acuna's caliber for "only" $12.4 million on average over the next 10 years may seem extreme. He's not even played a full year yet, so it might be a gamble.
Well, have you seen this kid play? Have you seen his talent? Have you ever seen a skill set like what Acuna has before?
Acuna will be worth every dime of this contract, and yes, there seems to be a sneaky suspicion that we will wonder how the Braves got away with this.
Acuna's contract doesn't even hamstring the Braves financially this year. He'll get a raise from the $560,000 he was making to $1 million. So, if they feel the need is there, the Braves could still go help improve the team.
Is that Craig Kimbrel's agent on the phone again?
To think this kid won't even make over $20 million in any year is amazing. Freddie Freeman is making more than $20 million for the third straight year, with two more seasons over that amount. Freeman is one of the best first baseman in the game, and yet Acuna might become one of the best players in the sport.
Sure, maybe he gets hurt, or maybe he becomes Jason Heyward. We might have wanted Heyward locked up for a decade after what he did in 2010. He looked like the next Dave Parker. Instead, Heyward became a poor man's Claudell Washington and is the most overpaid player in baseball.
It just doesn't seem like Acuna will not develop into what we see him developing into. This isn't Brad Komminsk (google him if you don't know him). Forget this guy being Joe Charboneau. Acuna is the real deal – a superstar in the making with every game he plays.
Did you see that swing on Acuna's home run Monday night? It was perfect. He looks bored in the outfield, and it's only because he's so good. He plays the game differently than others.
And yes, in a few months, if Acuna continues to improve and does something crazy like lead the National League in RBI, we might actually wonder if he's already one of the best players in the game.
For $12.4 million per season.
The deal sets the benchmark, as well. If the Braves want to extend Ozzie Albies or Dansby Swanson or any other young player who may be up soon, it won't be for more than what Acuna is getting. If Acuna is the best player on the team, the Braves won't want to pay anyone who is not as good more than that.
It's not often we think a deal for $124 million is a bargain, but this one is. Acuna is happy, and the Braves are thrilled. Plus, the true benefactors of this will be the fans, who will know not even Liberty Media could have gotten in the way of this deal.