Ronald Acuna Jr and the Braves Have a Tort Problem Over Loan of Millions

Ronald Acuna Jr signed a $100 million extension to become the face of the Atlanta Braves.

Now a Florida company says he owes millions.

And what the details of the lawsuit filed this week could be a big problem for Acuna and the Braves.

Lender Says Braves Kept Paying Acuna After Default Notice

2412 Laguna Holdings LLC filed the complaint Monday in the 11th Judicial Circuit Court in Miami-Dade County.

The lender says it handed Acuna $3.2 million.

With interest, the company says he now owes $3.6 million.

The repayment deadline was July 16, 2026.

Acuna missed it.

According to the complaint, Acuna pledged something bigger than cash as collateral.

He put up his rights to payment under his Braves contract.

He also pledged his endorsement income and the commercial rights to his own name, image and likeness.

That's the part that should make every Braves fan sit up.

A professional athlete signed away control of his own brand to borrow money.

The lawsuit doesn't stop with Acuna.

The Braves are named as a codefendant too.

The complaint claims the team kept cutting Acuna his normal paychecks even after the lender notified them of the default.

Under the loan agreement, the lender says that money was supposed to be redirected to cover the debt.

Instead, the Braves allegedly kept sending it straight to Acuna.

That's a franchise choosing to look the other way while a lender waited to get paid.

The Fine Print Behind a $3.2 Million Handshake

Nobody hands a $3.2 million check to a baseball player on a whim.

Loans like this exist because star athletes have cash flow problems most fans would laugh at.

Multi-year contracts pay out on fixed schedules, but bills, investments and lifestyle costs don't wait for the next paycheck.

So agents and specialty lenders structure deals that advance money against future contract earnings, endorsement checks and licensing income.

Acuna's deal followed that exact playbook, right down to pledging his name and image as security.

The problem is what happens when the borrower stops paying.

Once a default hits, the lender's only real leverage is whatever collateral sits in the contract.

In Acuna's case, that collateral was tied directly to money the Braves control.

Which is exactly why the team is now sitting in a Miami courtroom next to him.

A Pattern Nobody in Pro Sports Wants to Talk About

This isn't the first time a star athlete's finances have ended up in front of a judge.

Adrian Peterson was sued in 2019 by lender DeAngelo Vehicle Sales for allegedly defaulting on a $5.2 million loan despite earning nearly $100 million in his NFL career.

Sharks forward Evander Kane was sued for $15 million by a lender that accused him of fraud over a $1.5 million loan application.

Different sports, different lenders, same story.

Massive career earnings did not stop either man from ending up on the wrong side of a lawsuit.

Acuna just became the newest name on that list.

A $100 million contract should be more than enough for any player to stay out of a Miami courtroom over a $3.2 million bill.

If the lender's version holds up, Acuna borrowed against the very name and image that made him a superstar, then let the debt slide anyway.

And the Braves, according to the complaint, kept writing him checks instead of stepping in.

That leaves the team exposed to its own legal bill on top of Acuna's, and it leaves Atlanta fans wondering what else the front office is choosing not to notice.

Sources:

• Courthouse News Service Staff, "Atlanta Braves Sued Over Star Player's $3.2 Million Loan Default," Courthouse News Service, August 18, 2026.
• Emily Caron, "Lawsuit Claims Adrian Peterson Owes Millions After Alleged Loan Default," Sports Illustrated, July 24, 2019.
• CBS Sports Staff, "Sharks' Evander Kane Sued for $15 Million by Lender Alleging Fraud in $1.5 Million Loan," CBS Sports, 2021.
• Eric Fisher, "For MLB Players Not in Playoffs, It's Time to Take Loans," Sportico, 2024.