Atlanta Braves and Ronald Acuña finalizing 8 year $100 million extension

[Rod Freakin' Dangerfield]

Now go get us the pitching help we need, motherfucker!!!!

 

[fordman84]

I thought it was a steal by ATL and dumb by Acunaat first. However, with MLB contracts as they are this kid is guaranteed to be set for many generations before he is 30. he has zero risk as long as he doesn't die or go to jail. ATL gambles he keeps getting better. Acuna is set if he doesn't. If he does, who here doesn't think halfway through this deal they are working on a Trout like extension to buy him through age 35 and he can get a make-good amount of money then.

 

[JohnU]

My question is, how do you get a tilde in the headline?

 

[Chewbaccer]

My question is, how do you get a tilde in the headline?

@moxie showed me how once but I forgot and she needs to give me a refresher

 

[DragonfromTO]

Definitely seems strange. I guess they could have looked at it like this. He would only be making about half a mil the next two seasons. Start getting that money now. And they can always keep adjusting the extension, similar to what happened with Trout.

But i have serious doubts Liberty would ever be willing to spend any more.

If you look at the breakdown of the deal though he's not even "getting that money now". None of it is signing bonus and the salaries in the early years are super low (only $7 million total in the first three seasons)

I don't care how badly Acuna wanted to sign this contract, I think the conclusion is still that his agent failed him here. If the Braves are adamant that they won't do a shorter deal that still provides security and you take the year to year risk you're still going to do better than what he's scheduled to get in this deal.

You mention Trout as an example but I'd say that his two long-term contracts so far have been two huge gifts to the Angels. This is one for the Braves and I can't really fault them for taking it.

 

[DragonfromTO]

I thought it was a steal by ATL and dumb by Acunaat first. However, with MLB contracts as they are this kid is guaranteed to be set for many generations before he is 30. he has zero risk as long as he doesn't die or go to jail. ATL gambles he keeps getting better. Acuna is set if he doesn't. If he does, who here doesn't think halfway through this deal they are working on a Trout like extension to buy him through age 35 and he can get a make-good amount of money then.

He could have signed a 6 year deal that would have made him financially secure and not bought out 4 post free agency seasons. That way he can still be "set for life" and have an even better opportunity to get that monster deal when it's done. There's a big difference between being a 31 year old free agent and being a 27 year old free agent, even for stars.

 

[Rod Freakin' Dangerfield]

If you look at the breakdown of the deal though he's not even "getting that money now". None of it is signing bonus and the salaries in the early years are super low (only $7 million total in the first three seasons)

I don't care how badly Acuna wanted to sign this contract, I think the conclusion is still that his agent failed him here. If the Braves are adamant that they won't do a shorter deal that still provides security and you take the year to year risk you're still going to do better than what he's scheduled to get in this deal.

You mention Trout as an example but I'd say that his two long-term contracts so far have been two huge gifts to the Angels. This is one for the Braves and I can't really fault them for taking it.

 

[fordman84]

He could have signed a 6 year deal that would have made him financially secure and not bought out 4 post free agency seasons. That way he can still be "set for life" and have an even better opportunity to get that monster deal when it's done. There's a big difference between being a 31 year old free agent and being a 27 year old free agent, even for stars.

We don't know what the sales pitch was to him, though. Perhaps he is all in on the team and they wanted the short term flexibility now to build around him. To a lot of players being rich but also on a good team is the most important. Would you want to be paid a ton of money to end up in 4th or 5th place each year?

 

[DragonfromTO]

We don't know what the sales pitch was to him, though. Perhaps he is all in on the team and they wanted the short term flexibility now to build around him. To a lot of players being rich but also on a good team is the most important. Would you want to be paid a ton of money to end up in 4th or 5th place each year?

Does this theory sound like it jibes at all with the "maybe he needs money for his family in Venezuela" idea though? He's concerned about his family in the short term but the Braves' long term payroll concerns take priority?

And if that was the argument/reasoning there is still the alternative that I mentioned before, it is not an "this 10 year contract or nothing!!!" decision. Acuna can still sign a shorter deal that has similarly small salaries in the early years and leaves the Braves some flexibility in the near term but, as I said, doesn't have those bargain option years and doesn't buy out so many post free agent years.

And if I were his agent I would definitely mention during the negotiations that if they truly need to save the money right now when they're way down 21st in the league in payroll it sounds like maybe they're not operating under a sustainable model for the future anyway

"Would you want to be paid a ton of money to end up in 4th or 5th place each year?"

If Acuna signed a 6 year deal for half as much money instead do you think that it would have significantly increased/changed the odds of that "4th or 5th every year" scenario occurring with the Braves anyway?

 

[StanMarsh51]

We don't know what the sales pitch was to him, though. Perhaps he is all in on the team and they wanted the short term flexibility now to build around him. To a lot of players being rich but also on a good team is the most important. Would you want to be paid a ton of money to end up in 4th or 5th place each year?

Most people would play for the Washington Generals if paid a ton of money....

 

[Rod Freakin' Dangerfield]

Most people would play for the Washington Generals if paid a ton of money....

 

[molsaniceman]

Does this theory sound like it jibes at all with the "maybe he needs money for his family in Venezuela" idea though? He's concerned about his family in the short term but the Braves' long term payroll concerns take priority?

And if that was the argument/reasoning there is still the alternative that I mentioned before, it is not an "this 10 year contract or nothing!!!" decision. Acuna can still sign a shorter deal that has similarly small salaries in the early years and leaves the Braves some flexibility in the near term but, as I said, doesn't have those bargain option years and doesn't buy out so many post free agent years.

And if I were his agent I would definitely mention during the negotiations that if they truly need to save the money right now when they're way down 21st in the league in payroll it sounds like maybe they're not operating under a sustainable model for the future anyway

"Would you want to be paid a ton of money to end up in 4th or 5th place each year?"

If Acuna signed a 6 year deal for half as much money instead do you think that it would have significantly increased/changed the odds of that "4th or 5th every year" scenario occurring with the Braves anyway?

problem is braves have no reason to do a 6 year deal so the fa years was the selling point for them

 

[DragonfromTO]

problem is braves have no reason to do a 6 year deal so the fa years was the selling point for them

You're telling me the Braves would have said a hard "no" to a 6 or 7 year deal that would have still been a bargain and choose to go year to year on him instead? You may be right but I find that hard to believe.

The "selling point" is having (discounted) cost certainty on a great young player for 6 or 7 of his very best years.

 

[DragonfromTO]

I mean hell, just look at the option years. Two team options on a 29/30 year old Acuna for the same yearly salary that 29 year old Nate Eovaldi just got as a FA.

Just chopping those two options off of the end of the deal (or making the 7th and 8th years the team option years instead) would benefit Acuna a lot.

 

[Rod Freakin' Dangerfield]

You're telling me the Braves would have said a hard "no" to a 6 or 7 year deal that would have still been a bargain and choose to go year to year on him instead? You may be right but I find that hard to believe.

The "selling point" is having (discounted) cost certainty on a great young player for 6 or 7 of his very best years.

I mean hell, just look at the option years. Two team options on a 29/30 year old Acuna for the same yearly salary that 29 year old Nate Eovaldi just got as a FA.

Just chopping those two options off of the end of the deal (or making the 7th and 8th years the team option years instead) would benefit Acuna a lot.

 

[fordman84]

Does this theory sound like it jibes at all with the "maybe he needs money for his family in Venezuela" idea though? He's concerned about his family in the short term but the Braves' long term payroll concerns take priority?

And if that was the argument/reasoning there is still the alternative that I mentioned before, it is not an "this 10 year contract or nothing!!!" decision. Acuna can still sign a shorter deal that has similarly small salaries in the early years and leaves the Braves some flexibility in the near term but, as I said, doesn't have those bargain option years and doesn't buy out so many post free agent years.

And if I were his agent I would definitely mention during the negotiations that if they truly need to save the money right now when they're way down 21st in the league in payroll it sounds like maybe they're not operating under a sustainable model for the future anyway

"Would you want to be paid a ton of money to end up in 4th or 5th place each year?"

If Acuna signed a 6 year deal for half as much money instead do you think that it would have significantly increased/changed the odds of that "4th or 5th every year" scenario occurring with the Braves anyway?

More good points that I can't answer, but even though he makes less than market thinks he could in the next couple of years perhaps it is still much more than he could going the arbitration route. it could have been viewed that way by him, who knows. I just hope (and I bet he is) he is happy and the Braves are happy.

 

[fordman84]

Most people would play for the Washington Generals if paid a ton of money....

Everyone not playing currently would. But if you are an elite athlete at your sport that could play for anyone you choose, then would you still choose a loser for a 10% raise?

 

[molsaniceman]

Everyone not playing currently would. But if you are an elite athlete at your sport that could play for anyone you choose, then would you still choose a loser for a 10% raise?

machado did

 

[fordman84]

machado did

Who were his other options? Baltimore and White Sox?

 

[huskers1217]

same contract to albies...please