Braves now saddled with uncomfortable Ronald Acuna Jr. questions after NLDS loss

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The 2026 season for the Atlanta Braves ended with an NLDS loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Their offense couldn't muster enough to win the series, with Ronald Acuna Jr.'s postseason struggles continuing to hurt the team.

With the Braves now heading into the offseason, likely to explore upgrades to their shortstop, rotation, and bullpen, there might be some uncomfortable questions asked about Acuna as well.

As Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic highlighted, the Braves might have to ask themselves whether Acuna can still help this team, and if they should entertain shaking things up. And yes, that could potentially involve a trade.

Braves set to face uncomfortable Ronald Acuna Jr. questions this offseason

"Will the 28-year-old ever stay healthy? Will the Braves try to sign him to an extension? If not, will they consider trading him? Then there is the biggest one: Are his days as a star over?" Rosenthal writes.

These questions are not easy ones to answer for the Braves. With club options of $17 million in 2027 and 2028, the Braves, realistically, will pick up both.

However, when it comes to his future in Atlanta, the Braves might be considering some big changes. If they believe in him, maybe a new multi-year contract extension could be in the works.

But if Atlanta's front office is worried about Acuna, they could decide to trade him away. There are sure to be plenty of teams that would show real interest in Acuna, even with his underwhelming play in the postseason, his injury issues, and his long-term uncertainty.

Would the Braves actually trade Acuna? That's a question the front office has to ask itself this offseason. If they move on from him, this might be the offseason to do it.

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Plenty of outfield-needy teams would line up some strong offers to try and land Acuna from the Braves, potentially including their rivals in the Philadelphia Phillies, New York Mets, or Washington Nationals.

With Atlanta's need for a shortstop, maybe Trea Turner, Francisco Lindor, or CJ Abrams could be included in a trade. The NBA just saw a rare trade between rivals when the Boston Celtics sent Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers for Paul George.

Maybe the Braves and one of their NL East rivals could follow suit and make a major exchange of players. But so many hurdles would have to be cleared for such a future to come to pass.

For the Braves, the biggest thing that needs to happen is their front office figuring out answers to these questions. Do they believe Acuna can stay healthy? If so, are they willing to sign him to an extension?

If the answers are no, or there's some uncertainty there, the Braves might be headed towards a trade of their superstar outfielder. It's not likely, but it certainly appears to be a possibility for the Braves this offseason.