“If Ronald Acuna Jr. has an MVP season, he’ll ask for $800 million.”

Ronald Acuna Jr. signed an eight-year, $100 million contract at the start of his career. The Braves also had team options.

In 2026, he will be in the final guaranteed year of the agreement. In 2027 and 2028, the Braves can keep him for $17 million per season, the same salary he will earn in 2026.

And after that? With prices rising in baseball (Juan Soto, Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Shohei Ohtani have driven up prices recently) and a salary cap looming over the sport, the player may want to put pressure on his club to sign an extension. And if so, what might that look like?

Jim Bowden believes that if the Braves want to keep him for more than three years, which is when he will be eligible to sign a new deal, they would be better off tearing up his current contract and replacing it with a long-term deal right now. He recommends that the Braves not wait until he has an MVP season to sign him. By then, it will cost $800 million, he says…

“DO NOT WAIT for Ronald Acuña Jr. to have an MVP season. I'd give him $500 million for 10 years.”@JimBowdenGM explores a potential extension for the #Braves star right fielder.

https://t.co/fGPbvbj8w4 pic.twitter.com/Iaqx5LZuJO

— MLB Network Radio on SiriusXM (@MLBNetworkRadio) February 16, 2026

Unless the player wants to sign short contracts starting in 2029 (à la Kyle Tucker, for example), Bowden recommends that the Braves give him $500 million right away for the 2026 to 2035 seasons.

Would the player say yes? I don't know. But his value isn't at its highest right now, which could help lower the price tag.

However, his value isn't at its peak because Acuna Jr. has been injured a lot lately. That's a factor to consider when thinking about a potential deal. Since 2021, he has only had one full season under his belt. And Alex Anthopoulos must know that…

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