Braves Have Two Easy Club Options to Exercise This Offseason

It's now officially the offseason, and the Atlanta Braves can get to work, for at least the next month, getting their roster assembled for the 2027 season.

Two moves to ensure continuity can be made pretty quickly. They have two club options to exercise this offseason: one for Ozzie Albies and the other for Ronald Acuña Jr.

Albies would be due just $7 million. Acuña would get a $17 million check. Both numbers are according to Spotrac. All the Braves have to do is make the obvious decision on both.

Yes, these are two very easy calls to make.

Both would stick around at well below market value, giving them two All-Stars while also having the space to keep building around them for next year.

Knowing some other big contracts they're on the hook for - Austin Riley, Spencer Strider, Sean Murphy - the flexibility that comes from Albies and Acuña is key.

Last year, especially with Albies, it was a tougher call to exercise his option. Now, he's been named an All-Star in his most recent season. It doesn't matter how anemic he looked down the stretch of the regular season. Keeping him around is an easy call to make for this team.

For those keeping track of postseason performances, while all that could be said has been said about Acuña's October, Albies can at least get a shoutout.

He batted .250 with a 1.067 OPS, with two home runs, five RBIs and five total extra-base hits. He delivered when much of the lineup didn't. For at least one more year, the Braves might as well keep him around on the cheap.

A healthy Acuña is one of the best players in baseball. When he plays in right field, compared to the DH spot, his numbers have been significantly better. This shouldn't shock anybody, though. It's not his MVP form, but he's a good ballplayer.

In the 93 games that Acuña patrolled the right-field corner, he batted .264, with an .825 OPS, 18 home runs, 20 stolen bases and 50 RBIs. Over 162 games, his counting stats had a pace of 31 home runs, 34 stolen bases and 87 RBIs.

The Braves wouldn't get him for 162 games even when healthy, let alone in right field. That being said, it's still clear that for $17 million, they have a massive bargain on their hands. If they're wise, they'll figure out an extension sooner rather than later.

With another club option for 2028 that's worth the same amount of money, they aren't pressed for time. However, if he has another year, that contract value goes up. That should provide an incentive to get a move on with it.

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