Latest news with #Anthopoulos
Newsweek
11 hours ago
- Business
- Newsweek
Braves Trade Announcement Could Mean Marcell Ozuna 'Good as Gone'
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Atlanta Braves pulled off an extra-innings win against the rival New York Mets on Tuesday, but it's going to take a whole lot more to turn the season around. The Braves have a losing record and sit in third place in the National League East as injury setbacks and struggles at the plate have plagued their season. Given those struggles and the notable star players on the roster, the Braves seemed as if they could be heading toward seller status at the upcoming trade deadline. But president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos made an announcement to the contrary. "We're not selling," Anthopoulos said during an appearance on 680 The Fan's "Cellini and Dimino." "(E)specially a player under team control beyond this year." PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 27: Marcell Ozuna #20 of the Atlanta Braves on deck during the MLB game at Chase Field on April 27, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by) PHOENIX, ARIZONA - APRIL 27: Marcell Ozuna #20 of the Atlanta Braves on deck during the MLB game at Chase Field on April 27, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona. (Photo by) Petersen/Getty Anthopoulos added that caveat when asked specifically about reigning Cy Young Award winner Chris Sale, who has an $18 million club option for next year. But it was also a pretty telling hedge when it comes to designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who won't be under team control beyond this year unless the Braves sign him to an extension. "That's an important distinction, one that leaves the door open for really the only path Atlanta has left to make a splash at the deadline: a trade of Marcell Ozuna," according to Chris Landers of FanSided, who added that Anthopoulos' comments "all but confirms" the "slugger is as good as gone." Anthopoulos noted that the Braves expect to add to the roster by the deadline and that the team is exploring trades now. But with few intriguing prospects to deal away and an unwillingness to move any players with future club control, it seems a swap of Ozuna could be the only path the team has to a significant external addition. More MLB: Phillies 'Want to See' Kyle Schwarber Test Market Without Extension, per Insider
Newsweek
a day ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Braves Declare Decision on Chris Sale Trade That Effects Yankees, Dodgers, Other Contenders
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Atlanta Braves are 6 1/2 games out of a National League Wild Card spot entering play on Wednesday. They have not met expectations, and are shaping up to be a team that sells at the deadline. However, general manager Alex Anthopoulos does not seem to care about where it looks like the Braves are headed. During an appearance on 680 The Fan's "Cellini and Dimino," Anthopoulos noted that his team will not be sellers at the deadline. "I expect us to be better. ... We are not selling," Anthopoulos said on "Cellini and Dimino." "(We) want to be in a position to add at the trade deadline." ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 09: Alex Anthopoulos of the Atlanta Braves aknowledges the crowd at Truist Park during the World Series Ring Ceremony on April 9, 2022 in Atlanta, Georgia. ATLANTA, GA - APRIL 09: Alex Anthopoulos of the Atlanta Braves aknowledges the crowd at Truist Park during the World Series Ring Ceremony on April 9, 2022 in Atlanta, specifically asked about Chris Sale's trade value and whether the Braves would consider trading him, Anthopoulos was clear. "Will not happen," Anthopoulos told the radio hosts. With how the Braves were playing, many teams likely expected them to listen to offers for Sale and some of their other stars. Sale won the National League Cy Young Award last season and has a 2.79 ERA in 14 starts this year. He has a $18 million club option for next season. With Sale off the board, contenders like the New York Yankees, Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, who may be looking for starting pitching, will need to settle for lesser options. Sale would have been the best pitcher available, but now the best pitchers on teams poised to be sellers include Sandy Alcántara and Andrew Heaney. Alcántara is a Cy Young Award winner, but has struggled this year. Heaney is a reliable starter, but not someone teams will put in the front half of their rotation. Contenders who need pitchers will either settle for some of the underwhelming options or hold out until the Milwaukee Brewers or Arizona Diamondbacks are willing to deal some of their talented starters. Freddy Peralta, Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly could become the talk of the deadline if their respective teams decide to sell. More MLB: Former MLB Executive Encourages Mariners To Trade For Diamondbacks Slugger
New York Times
14-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. on rehab: ‘When I stay healthy, I can do everything'
NORTH PORT, Fla. — If Ronald Acuña Jr. has to miss the first month of the season, which seems likely, the Atlanta Braves star is OK with that. He's returning from his second major knee surgery in three years — he tore the right ACL in July 2021, then tore his left last May 26 — and Acuña has gained wisdom and patience along the way. Advertisement 'The priority is I feel great, that's the most important thing,' Acuña said Friday at Braves camp, where the 2023 National League MVP sounded ebullient as he discussed his rehab and the outlook for him and the Braves. 'And when they tell me to play that day, I'll be there.' Even if that's not until May? Acuña, who's been hitting long homers in batting practice with other early arriving position players, smiled and sighed when asked about a potential May return date. 'It's hard,' he said. 'But I'm working every day. I'm working hard to be ready when they call me.' The Braves already said he won't be on the Opening Day roster — they don't want him overdoing it this spring in the final stages of his rehab — and Braves general manager and president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos said Friday that Acuña won't play in any Grapefruit League games at spring training. He will probably DH in some scrimmages and minor league games on the back fields at North Port, Anthopoulos said, but once Acuña returns to the active roster there are no plans to have him DH any regular-season games. 'No, he won't need to,' Anthopoulos said of DHing in the regular season. 'When you look back at the numbers in '22 (coming back from the first surgery), he didn't DH that much. So, he's already so much farther ahead of where he was at the same stage. He's had that much more time to recover. So there's been no discussion of it. You know, things can change, of course, but no discussion. We don't anticipate needing to do that at all. 'And we expect when he's back that he's playing most likely all his games in the outfield.' As for an expected return date for Acuña, Anthopolous said, 'I think once we get to the end of camp, we'll have a better idea on a time frame. But the big thing for us is just making sure when he's back he's full-go and he's back to the elite player that he's always been.' Acuña, who turned 27 in December, estimated he's running at 90-95 percent capacity, and said that the repaired left knee feels much more stable at this juncture of rehab than the right knee felt when he returned in April 2022. He dealt with lingering soreness and instability in the knee that diminished his confidence and power that season. Advertisement After posting a .394 OBP and then-career bests of .596 slugging and .990 OPS in 82 games before his season-ending injury in 2021, Acuña slipped to career worsts of .351 OBP, .413 slugging and .764 OPS in 119 games in 2022 in his first season after surgery. But a healthy Acuña was the best player in baseball in 2022, when he hit .337 with 41 homers, led the majors in hits (217), stolen bases (73), OBP (.416) and total bases (383), and led the NL in plate appearances (735), OPS (1.012) and OPS+ (171) while playing 159 games and having no issues with the knee. This time, Acuña and the Braves hope that taking 2-3 more months to rehab, instead of the nine he had before returning from the first ACL tear, will help him avoid recurring soreness and a subpar season by his standards like he endured in 2022. 'I think his floor is what he did last time (in 2022), and I feel that he'll be better than that,' Anthopoulos said, 'just because of the way the rehab's gone. The fact that he's going through this a second time, he has much more knowledge and familiarity, and just experience of having gone through it. The fact that we're going to give him that much more time, we think, should only be good for him and his performance. 'I don't want to make any predictions in terms of numbers and so on, but I think his floor is what he did last time, with a ceiling clearly well beyond that.' Acuña, said he will be more careful running the bases when he returns. The second ACL tear occurred when he planted his foot to retreat to second base on an aborted plan to steal third on a catcher's throw back to the pitcher. He also missed time last spring training after tweaking the knee on a rundown in a meaningless exhibition game. Ronald Acuna Jr. says he learned English from his teammates and he jokes that his translator Franco doesn't have a job anymore. His goal this season to stay healthy. #ForTheA #Braves — Alison Mastrangelo (@AlisonWSB) February 14, 2025 'I need to take it easy, man,' said Acuña, who acknowledged that might be easier said than done, just like pacing himself this spring and not trying to do too much in workouts could be difficult. 'Yes. I need to take it easy, man. If I stay healthy. I can play whatever I want.' Acuña talked his way back into the lineup in 2022 just nine months after surgery, a little sooner than the team planned. And the careful schedule they had laid out, including no day games after night games or games after travel days, also quickly was abandoned. But this time, Acuña said he will leave it entirely to the doctors to determine when he's ready. He and the Braves agree it's best to take a more conservative approach this time. Advertisement 'My goal for this year, I'm gonna stay healthy and help my team,' Acuña said. 'That's it. I want to stay healthy. When I stay healthy, I can do everything.' He's also doing interviews in English this year for the first time in his career. Acuña handled his first of the spring Friday with aplomb, despite what he said were sweaty palms from nervousness in front of reporters and several TV cameras. He was laughing when he said it, but displayed damp palms to prove he wasn't kidding. If he was nervous, it didn't show in his demeanor or answers, including one about the Braves' revamped outfield. Free-agent newcomer Jurickson Profar (28 homers, .380 OBP, .839 OPS in 2024 with San Diego) takes over in left field to give the Braves a standout trio when Acuña returns, those two flanking center fielder Michael Harris II. Jarred Kelenic is the likely right fielder until Acuña is back. 'Best outfield in baseball, for me,' Acuña, whose locker is adjacent to the veteran Profar's. 'We can play defense and offense, too. For me, best outfield in baseball.' Told what Acuña said about the outfield, Profar smiled and said, 'Yes, well, we still have to go there and do it, you know? But we have that potential.' 💨💨💨@ronaldacunajr24 | #BravesST — Atlanta Braves (@Braves) February 13, 2025 Profar said he chose the Braves in part because of team chemistry he'd seen from playing against them, and because of their talent, led by Acuña. 'He's a great baseball player,' Profar said. 'I always admire him from afar, when I play against him. He's a really, really good baseball player.' Profar is an 11-year veteran who played alongside the likes of Adrian Beltré in Texas, Matt Chapman, Marcus Semien and once-again teammate Matt Olson in Oakland, and Juan Soto, Manny Machado and Fernando Tatis Jr. in San Diego. Advertisement So, where does he rank Acuña, after watching him from afar and spending much of the past week with him? 'I think Acuña and Tatis, they are at a different level,' Profar said. 'I think maybe (Shohei) Ohtani is up there with them. They're in the league of their own; if they're healthy, the sky's the limit for him. Same as Tatis, too.' Profar didn't mention Soto, who signed a 15-year, $765 million contract with the New York Mets in December, a deal that has a $51 million average annual value that's exactly three times Acuna's $17 million peak salary in his contract, which runs through 2026 and also has two club options at $17 million for 2027-2028. Acuńa was asked about seeing Soto and others get massive contracts and various rankings that before last season had Acuña as baseball's top overall player, or at least top three, and now have him nowhere near that high after his second injury-shortened season for knee surgery in four years. 'That's fine, because last year I can't play,' Acuña said. 'But I need to stay healthy this year, and I'm top 10 next year.' His real motivation, he said, was elsewhere. 'It was motivation when you see your teammates play and you can't,' Acuña said. 'But that's a different year. It's 2025. Here we go.'
