How Braves secured their lineup for years to come
This story was excerpted from Mark Bowman’s Braves Beat publication. To learn the total publication, click on right here. And subscribe to get it repeatedly in your inbox.
As Braves president of baseball operations Alex Anthopoulos has locked up lots of his high gamers for a lot of the following decade, he could have been motivated by his childhood years, when his beloved Expos weren’t capable of preserve lots of their younger stars long run.
“I saw a lot of players leave,” Anthopoulos mentioned. “I know what it was like that our good young players were being traded away or that they couldn’t keep them. So I think there’s a small part of me that feels from a fan base, you can buy this guy’s jersey because he’s going to be here a while.”
Sorry to these of you holding Dansby Swanson or Freddie Freeman jerseys. As for these of you with Jake Odorizzi jerseys, I actually don’t know what to say.
There is clear threat. Had Mike Soroka been given an extension after his implausible 2019 season, the Braves would presently be feeling regret. But the potential advantages appear to outweigh the dangers.
“We do like the fact that guys can just worry about going out and playing,” Anthopoulos mentioned. “They don’t have to worry about making a certain salary or getting certain statistics and so on, and that they know they’re going to be here.”
Current eighth graders can venture what the Braves’ lineup would possibly seem like when they’re highschool seniors.
Murphy (catcher), Olson (first base), Albies (second base), Austin Riley (third base), Michael Harris II (heart discipline) and Acuña (proper discipline) are all beneath management by the Braves via the 2027 season. So, too, is Spencer Strider, who’s the one latest pitcher to achieve an extension from Atlanta.
In at the moment’s sports activities world, it’s loopy to assume you possibly can confidently venture how 70 % of a lineup would possibly look 5 seasons from now.
Players beneath membership management via 2027: Murphy, Harris, Strider, Olson, Acuña, Albies ($7M choice in 2026 and ’27) and Riley
Through 2028: Murphy, Harris, Strider, Olson, Acuña ($17M membership choice) and Riley
Through 2029: Murphy ($15M membership choice), Harris, Strider ($22M membership choice), Olson and Riley
Through 2030: Olson ($20M membership choice), Riley (assured via 2032 with a $20M membership choice for ’33)
