Atlanta Braves Retain Stars Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies

Big Decisions in Atlanta

The Atlanta Braves have made major moves regarding two of their top star players. On Thursday, the team officially exercised contract options for outfielder Ronald Acuña Jr. and second baseman Ozzie Albies.

This decision keeps both key players with the organization as they build for upcoming seasons. Both players signed long term deals with the club back in 2019 and remain key pieces for Atlanta.

Acuna Contract Details and Stats

Acuña had his $17 million option taken up by the club. The 28 year old outfielder is a five time All Star who also won the National League Most Valuable Player award in 2023.

He originally signed an eight year contract worth $100 million in 2019. That deal included a 2027 option with a $10 million buyout, along with the $17 million option for 2028 which carries no buyout.

Injuries disrupted Acuña during the year. He suffered a strained left hamstring that kept him out from May 2 to May 19. He was sidelined again with the same injury from June 10 to July 27. Despite the missing time, he finished the year batting .255 with 20 home runs, 55 RBIs, and 21 stolen bases.

Albies Stays After Full Season

The Braves also decided to exercise their $7 million option on Ozzie Albies. The 29 year old second baseman signed a seven year contract worth $35 million in 2019. That contract contained $7 million options for 2026 and 2027, which raised the total value of his deal to $45 million across nine seasons.

Albies is a four time All Star who played in every single game this past year. He was one of just seven players across the league to appear in all 162 games for his team.

While he was always present on the field, his offensive numbers suffered slightly. He posted a career low batting average of .237. However, he still managed to hit 22 home runs and drive in 73 RBIs over the course of the full regular season.