When Atlanta Braves phenom Ronald Acuna Jr. suffered an injury, the bulk of the fan base called for Alex Anthopoulos to work his magic. This is why it will not happen soon. After losing Spencer Strider and, most recently, Ronald Acuna Jr. for the season, the Atlanta Braves will look drastically different for the remainder of 2024. Losing one celebrity is difficult enough to bear, but losing two is devastating.
It is no secret that the Braves have high expectations for themselves, despite losing two of their finest players to injuries. Many fans are pushing on Braves General Manager Alex Anthopoulos to make a deal to compensate for the loss of Acuna and Strider. While it is possible that AA has something up his sleeve, there are three major reasons why fans should not expect any blockbusters very soon.
It’s still too early. As of now, the Atlanta Braves are 31-23 and 6.5 games back in the National League East. With all of the Braves’ awful luck, being fewer than 7 games behind the blistering hot Phillies feels like an accomplishment in and of itself. With 54 games remaining, there are 108 games left in the regular season and a little more than two months until the trade deadline. During that time frame, a lot can happen in the MLB.
There are so many teams in the league right now that are unsure whether they will be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline. AA is most likely waiting until there is a better understanding of what high-caliber players are available and who appear to be the greatest match for Atlanta. Anthopoulos should be trusted, and fans should be patient, regardless of how difficult the task is.
