Braves rumors: Max Fried alternatives, Acuña's surprising call, Culberson's future
- What would the Braves do with Max Fried's $200 million?
- Ronald Acuña makes surprising offseason decision.
- Charlie Culberson's future as a pitcher.
By Mark Powell
Braves Rumors: Ronald Acuña returning to Venezuelan Winter League
One of Venezuela's greats, Braves outfielder Ronald Acuña, is expected to return to the country's winter league this offseason. Acuña likes to put in some offseason work the best way he can -- live at bats against some nasty pitchers. Usually, that's not a problem, though last year's season ended in controversy for Acuña.
Acuña made it to the Winter League finals last season, and his team eventually won. However, it was his home run celebration which sparked debate in his home country, and even led to his family receiving threats in the stands. This caused Acuña to announce his retirement from the league itself, and delete his social media.
Ronald Acuña Jr. with one of the most electric home run celebrations of all-time. From start to finish. It just keeps going. Unreal. pic.twitter.com/FcDpeVbzYH
— Jared Carrabis (@Jared_Carrabis) January 25, 2023
Video emerged which appeared to show opposing fans yelling at Acuña's family. Needless to say, there is no place for this in the sport, regardless of the country. So, it's rather surprising that Acuña would open himself up to such criticism just a year later.
Ronald Acuña Jr. will play in the Venezuelan Winter League starting in December with Tiburones de la Guaira.
— Héctor Gómez (@hgomez27) October 27, 2023
The news was confirmed by Elias Saba, President of Tiburones de La Guaira. pic.twitter.com/hmvvLMluv3
While injuries are always a concern for Acuña Jr., he played in the league last season and followed it up with a 40-home run, 70-steal campaign in MLB. Surely, the Braves trust him to stay healthy despite the extra games.