Atlanta Braves Pick Up Options on Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies

Braves Pick Up Options for Key Stars

The Atlanta Braves decided to keep two major pieces of their roster on Thursday. The club officially exercised contract options on outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and second baseman Ozzie Albies.

Acuña will stay with the team on his $17 million option. The front office also chose to pick up the $7 million option on Albies, ensuring that both core players remain in Atlanta.

Acuña Contract Details and Production

Acuña was the 2023 National League MVP and has been named an All Star five times. Back in 2019, he agreed to a contract worth $100 million over eight years. That agreement included an option for 2027 that carried a $10 million buyout, as well as a $17 million option for 2028 with no buyout.

The 28 year old outfielder had to deal with injuries during his recent campaign. A strained left hamstring kept him off the field across two different stretches. He missed games between May 2 and May 19, and he sat out again between June 10 and July 27.

Across his appearances this year, Acuña batted .255. He finished the season with 20 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases for Atlanta.

Albies Stays Healthy Through Career Low Year

Albies also signed a long term deal in 2019. The second baseman agreed to terms on a seven year contract worth $35 million. That contract included $7 million options for both 2026 and 2027.

Now 29 years of age, the four time All Star infielder experienced a difficult season at the plate. Albies hit for a career low .237 batting average. Despite the drop in average, he still supplied power by hitting 22 home runs and driving in 73 runs.

His durability was a bright spot for Atlanta. Albies played in every single game of the regular season, taking the field in all 162 contests. He was one of only seven players in the entire sport to appear in every game this team played.