Ronald Acuña Jr.'s Braves surge could keep Mariners trade scenario from resurrection

We've previously presented the case that the Mariners are the most cursed franchise in the majors, but this season has taken the biscuit. It's been an absolute perfect storm of everything going wrong, to the point you now almost believe the sporting gods are just outright mocking them. Unfortunately for the M's and their fanbase, this seemingly extends to things going on outside the organization.

You might remember that the Mariners were connected to Ronald Acuña Jr. in the leadup to last year's trade deadline, by MLB Network insider Joel Sherman. The speculation obviously led to nothing at the time, but Bill Shanks of NBC's Georgia affiliate is now trying to breathe new life into the possibility. The timing is interesting, given that Acuña has spent the last few weeks reminding everyone that he's still a superstar.

There's no denying the 2023 NL MVP hasn't been at his best for a lot of this season, highlighted by ending last month with a .754 OPS which projected to be the second-worst of his nine years in the majors. Since the calendar flipped to September however, he's been on a tear with a 1.086 OPS and putting himself in position to greatly benefit the Braves come playoff time.

As a result, you now have to wonder if any chance the Mariners had to make a move for him, has all but disappeared?

The Mariners and Braves are a good match to make a deal involving Ronald Acuña Jr., BUT...

From our perspective, the idea of the Mariners nabbing Acuña was just about plausible enough. They are undoubtedly going to need a major right-handed bat come the offseason, while the Braves have a need for starting pitching and youth which can be found in Seattle. In theory this makes the two teams a good match as trade partners.

Now though, with the five-time All-Star suddenly revitalized, it makes it (even) more difficult for any deal to become a reality. Shanks makes the case that now is the time for the Braves to cash in on Acuña, due to the combination of his injury history and two club options remaining on his current contract. The thinking is that they need to focus on the future, rather than risk losing their superstar for nothing.

However, we would contend that Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos won't be feeling the same sense of urgency as Shanks to move Acuña. And in truth, if the three-time Silver Slugger continues to be hot into October, this will conceivably make the Braves less inclined to move him this winter. On the flip side, even if Anthopoulos and company do listen to offers for him, his stock will likely have only risen further if he lights it up during the playoffs.

Ultimately, the Mariners don't get to have nice things and even when they do, something often still goes wrong. Look no further than Brendan Donovan having an injury-plagued first campaign in Seattle and playing the fewest games of his Major League career, or Josh Naylor looking like a dud in the first season of his five-year $92.5 million deal. Why would anything better be expected, even if they did somehow manage to acquire Acuña?

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