Ronald Acuña Jr. in a Red Sox uniform would come at a considerable cost.
Patrick McAvoy of Red Sox On SI put together a trade proposal that would send five Boston players to Atlanta for the former National League MVP. The return starts with Wilyer Abreu and Brayan Bello and includes another major league pitcher and two prospects.
It’s a hypothetical offer, with McAvoy acknowledging there has been no concrete movement toward a deal.
Abreu and Bello Headline Proposed Return
McAvoy’s package would send Abreu, Bello, right-hander Kutter Crawford, catcher/first baseman Franklin Primera and pitching prospect Sadbiel Delzine to the Braves.
Boston would receive Acuña.
The proposal would pull from several parts of Boston’s roster and farm system, sending Atlanta an outfielder, two major league pitchers and a pair of minor leaguers.
McAvoy’s reasoning centers on Atlanta’s leverage. The Braves don’t have to move Acuña, and he argued that convincing them to do so would require an offer well beyond the prospect-heavy packages often floated in mock trades.
Acuña Still Brings Power and Speed
Acuña hit .255 with 20 home runs, 55 RBIs and 21 stolen bases in 107 games this season, according to Baseball Savant. He finished with a .345 on-base percentage and a .796 OPS.
That followed a strong 2025 at the plate, when he hit .290 with 21 homers and a .935 OPS. He played 95 games that season after appearing in just 49 in 2024.
His best season remains 2023. Acuña hit .337, launched 41 home runs and stole 73 bases on his way to the NL MVP award.
Atlanta holds $17 million club options for 2027 and 2028.
Those options would give an acquiring team the opportunity to keep Acuña for two seasons. In McAvoy’s proposed deal, Boston would pay for that opportunity with five players—including two familiar names in Abreu and Bello.
Photo: D. Benjamin Miller / Wikimedia Commons, CC0 public domain dedication.
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