Reigning NL MVP outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. ‘s youngest brother reaches verbal agreement with Braves…..
More than half of the teams in the NL East could have a member of the Acuna family playing for them in the 2030s.
Reigning NL MVP outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. has spent his entire career with the Atlanta Braves and recently expressed his desire to stay there well past his current contract length.
The 26-year-old signed an eight-year, $100M deal (which includes team options in 2027 and 2028) in 2019.
Acuna Jr. first signed with the Braves as an international free agent at 16 years old in 2014 for $100,000.
His younger brother, 21-year-old infielder Luisangel, agreed in principle to sign with the Braves in 2017, one year before his superstar sibling made his big-league debut.
Due to the organization’s international signing scandal that year, however, they lost the ability to pay Luisangel’s (and other prospects’) signing bonuses and he became a free agent.
He signed with the Texas Rangers in July 2018 and was traded to the New York Mets in July 2023 for former Cy Young winner Max Scherzer and cash considerations.
It was reported Friday by MLB insider Hector Gomez that the youngest of four Acuna brothers had reached a verbal agreement with another rival of the Braves — the Philadelphia Phillies. 12-year-old Kenny Acuna won’t be eligible to formally sign with the club until January 2028.
The fourth member of the quartet is 18-year-old infielder Bryan Acuna, who’s currently in the Minnesota Twins organization. He recorded one home run, 14 RBI and four stolen bases with a .185/.327/.227 slash line over 119 at-bats in the Florida Complex League in 2023.
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Battle For Fifth Rotation Spot Intensifies This Weekend
The Atlanta Braves are probably hoping someone separates themselves in the battle for the 5th rotation spot.
Both favorites for the job, 2023 All-Star Bryce Elder and top free agent signee Reynaldo López, get starts this weekend as they continue to make their case for that Opening Day roster spot.
Elder’s the first to continue adding to his resume, getting the start at home today against the Baltimore Orioles. Here’s the lineup Atlanta will send out in CoolToday Park:
RF Ronald Acuña Jr
LF Jarred Kelenic
3B Austin Riley
1B Matt Olson
DH Marcell Ozuna
CF Forrest Wall
SS David Fletcher
C Chadwick Tromp
2B Luke Waddell
Per the team’s game notes, prospect Darius Vines is one of the pitchers scheduled to follow Elder today.
Braves Show Off New Look Lineup for Fried’s Grapefruit League Debut
In our most recent roster projection, published this morning, we put López on the roster and have Elder in AAA Gwinnett to start the season, owing to the additional roster flexibility that López in the rotation gives you. Elder tries to counter that argument today, while López is the scheduled starter on the road Saturday, as the Braves travel to Dunedin to take on the Toronto Blue Jays.
In limited action this spring, neither pitcher’s done much to separate themselves in the battle. Elder pitched 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on four hits with one walk and one strikeout. López is marginally better, allowing only one run on one hit in his first two innings of work, although that run was a homer allowed to Orioles infielder Jordan Westburg.
There are other candidates for the 5th starter’s job, like prospects AJ Smith-Shawver and Hurston Waldrep, but all expectations as of now are that one of these two earns the job, with López being in the bullpen if Elder wins and Elder being in AAA Gwinnett if López seizes the final spot.
UPDATE: The Orioles have announced their lineup, with MLB #1 overall prospect Jackson Holliday batting 8th and playing shortstop:
CF Colton Coswer
RF Anthony Santander
DH Ryan Mountcastle
1B Ryan O’Heard
C James McCann
2B Ramón Urías
3B Jordan Westburg
SS Jackson Holliday
LF Tyler Nevin
SP Tyler Wells
How to Watch the Atlanta Braves on Friday, March 1st
This game is a home broadcast on MLB.com, with the radio call of Ben Ingram and Joe Simpson overlayed over a video feed, available for subscribers to MLB.tv. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 PM ET.
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