Ronald Acuña and Braves Finalizing Long-Term Extension
The trend of young star MLB players signing big extensions before they are free agents continues, as ESPN’s Jeff Passan reports that the Braves and outfielder Ronald Acuña are on the brink of a nine-figure deal:
Ronald Acuña's deal with the Braves begins this season and guarantees another seven years. It includes a $10M buyout on two options that are worth $17M each.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) April 2, 2019
Acuña, 21 years old, had previously been making $560,000 and would’ve been under team control for four more seasons via the arbitration system. So he gets a big payday, and the Braves have him locked up for twice as long.
This follows, to some extent, what happened with the White Sox and Eloy Jimenez, as Jimenez signed a six-year deal with the Southsiders in March before he even debuted in the major leagues.