'Put it in bold': Anthopoulos shuts down Acuña trade rumors

ATLANTA -- Unlike one of Atlanta’s former general managers, Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos didn’t go as far as to say he would cut off his right arm before trading one of his superstars.

But he still made it adamantly clear Ronald Acuña Jr. won’t be dealt this winter.

“There's not even a hint of smoke to it,” Anthopoulos said. “There's zero.”

When another reporter followed by asking whether Acuña would be traded, Anthopoulos responded, “Absolutely not. Yeah. There you go. Put it in bold.”

So, it wasn’t as dramatic as how former Braves GM John Coppolella discussed the possibility of trading Freddie Freeman a decade ago. But Anthopoulos made it crystal clear he and his staff haven’t even thought about dealing Acuña, a topic which many Braves fans have had fun debating over the past month.

“We need him,” Anthopoulos said. “We need to add to him. Obviously, we need more than just him.”

Anthopoulos will continue to discuss the team’s multiple needs during this week’s General Managers Meetings in Las Vegas. There’s a need to evaluate how to replenish the rotation and the shortstop void. How should the left-field position be addressed? What about the bullpen?

These are all questions Anthopoulos will evaluate while hoping Acuña bounces back from a disappointing, injury-marred season.

Acuña hit .255 with 20 homers, 21 stolen bases and a .796 OPS over 107 games. Two left hamstring strains forced him to spend nearly two months of the season on the injured list.

Was this a sign of things to come for the 2023 NL MVP, who tore his left ACL in 2021 and his right ACL in 2024? Or will Acuña be able to build on what he showed while producing a .997 OPS over his final 26 regular-season games this year? This was similar to the .935 OPS he produced after he returned from the right ACL tear two months into the 2025 season.

“He’s a huge part of the club,” Anthopoulos said. “We need right-handed bats. He was an integral part of our lineup, especially in the biggest games of the year in September.”

The declines of Austin Riley and Sean Murphy over the past few years have enhanced the need for the Braves to add a right-handed presence to their lineup. There is an obvious hole in left field. So, there will be discussions about whether the Braves should add Randy Arozarena or Seiya Suzuki.

If the Braves choose to use a platoon in left field, Mike Yastrzemski is available to serve as the left-handed half. But would they bring back Jurickson Profar to serve as the right-handed portion?

Profar is entering the final year of a three-year deal, during which he has played just 80 games. The veteran outfielder received an 80-game suspension when he tested positive for a banned performance-enhancing substance in 2025. He received a 162-game suspension after testing positive yet again this year.

“[Manager Walt Weiss] and I have started to talk about that role, things like that,” Anthopoulos said. “We haven't come to any conclusions at all. But look, it's a topic. It's something that's going to need to be addressed at some point. The good news is it doesn't have to be addressed today, because we have the offseason and the roster can change and things can change.”

One thing that seemingly won’t change this winter is Acuña's employer.