MLB rumors: The Ronald Acuna Jr., Spencer Strider reason Braves are slow-playing offseason

The Atlanta Braves have yet to make any truly attention-catching additions this offseason. They have lost players such as Max Fried and Jorge Soler via free agency and trades, but Atlanta has yet to add a superstar. Perhaps Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider’s expected injury returns in 2025 are impacting the Braves’ offseason.

Acuna and Strider will likely not return before Opening Day. However, both players are only expected to miss one to two months of the regular season. This means that any player the Braves sign to replace Acuna or Strider may have a diminished role once they return, something Ken Rosenthal addressed in reference to Acuna’s situation, via The Athletic.

“A return by Acuña say, at the end of April, would give him six additional weeks to recover,” Rosenthal wrote in a recent article. “The Braves clearly would need another outfielder in the interim, but that player likely would be reduced to a backup role once Acuña was activated. Few players at this stage of the offseason are jumping at such roles.”

Related Atlanta Braves NewsArticle continues below

Acuna and Strider are looking to bounce back from injuries. Acuna is one of the best players in the sport when healthy, but a torn ACL brought his 2024 season to an early end. The same can be said for Strider, who suffered an early season elbow injury.

The Braves will rely on Strider in the starting rotation once he returns after losing Max Fried in free agency. Of course, Acuna will instantly become the leader in the lineup once he returns as well. In a sense, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Spencer Strider’s returns will feel like two superstar acquisitions.

Will the Braves make any notable additions as the offseason continues? Anything is possible, but Atlanta may be content to enter the 2025 campaign with their roster as currently constructed.


Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. Mistretta graduated college with a degree in broadcast journalism from Biola University, and he has bylines at NBA Analysis Network and RotoWire.

Related Posts

🚨 BREAKING: Braves Make Bold Move at Winter Meetings – Sign Veteran Pitcher to MiLB Deal That Could Turn Heads! 👇

The Atlanta Braves add more depth in the form of a pitcher who looks to make his way back to the majors after a long absence

🎯 INSANE MLB TWIST: Boston Red Sox Set to Make a Shocking Reunion with 23-Year-Old Breakout Star – Could This Move Completely Change Their Offseason Plans? 👇

The Boston Red Sox traded Kyle Teel to the Chicago White Sox last offseason. Could Boston bring him back this winter?

🚨 SHOCKING MLB INSIDE SCOOP: Yankees’ Aaron Boone Drops a Major Bomb – The Gap Between His Team and the Blue Jays May Be Smaller Than Anyone Realizes, And It Could Change Everything This Season! 👇

The New York Yankees head into 2026 still chasing AL champion Toronto — the team that swept them in the summer and knocked them out in October.

🔥 EXCLUSIVE REPORT: Chicago Cubs Are Pushing Hard for $154 Million Ace During Winter Meetings – The Deal That Could Completely Change Their Championship Hopes! 👇

The Chicago Cubs could look to make a huge move to add an ace to their roster at the winter meetings this offseason.

⚡ INSIDER ALERT: Red Sox Eyeing Kyle Teel as Unexpected Trade Target for 2026! The Rising Star Could Transform Boston’s Future—Will This Bold Move Pave the Way for a New Era in Their Lineup? 👇

Craig Breslow and the Boston Red Sox aren’t afraid to make a trade. There aren’t many teams that have made trades this offseason. The list of teams that have m

BREAKING: KIKÉ HERNÁNDEZ SIGNED $90 MILLION CONTRACT – OFFICIALLY JOINING LOS ANGELES DODGERS Loѕ Angeleѕ wаѕ rocked overnіght when the Dodgerѕ unexрectedly “cloѕed” а monthѕ-long deаl: Kіké Hernández wіll offіcіаlly ѕtаy аt Dodger Stаdіum wіth а $90 mіllіon contrаct, раvіng the wаy for аn erа of loyаlty – exрloѕіve – аnd emotіon. “Thіѕ іѕ home. I’m not done fіghtіng for thіѕ cіty,” Hernández ѕhаred, chokіng uр аѕ he confіrmed he hаd раѕѕed uр mаny аttrаctіve offerѕ to contіnue…

LOS ANGELES — A big bombshell in the middle of the MLB winter season. Moments after the news of the deal hit social media, the Los Angeles Dodgers made all the news when they announced: Kiké Hernández would be returning to the team on a multi-year, $90 million deal that was described as “a strategic commitment to the long-term future of the organization.”