Atlanta Braves: The next 3 candidates for contract extensions
By Scott Henry
News broke on Tuesday that the Atlanta Braves had extended young star center fielder Michael Harris II to an eight-year, $72 million contract. This is the third major extension the Braves have made this year, to go with the 10-year, $212 million extension given to Austin Riley, and the eight-year, $168 million extension handed out to Matt Olson after acquiring him from Oakland.
They currently have the following players under contract or team control until at least 2026:
- Ronald Acuna
- Ozzie Albies
- Matt Olson
- Michael Harris II
- Austin Riley
- Ozzie Albies
- Kyle Wright
- Spencer Strider
- William Contreras
For those that don’t know, organizations work for decades to have a core of legitimate players locked down for that long together. They have a truly talented young core that was built almost entirely from their farm system. The Braves have become a model for other organizations to try and emulate.
As a result, the Braves have set themselves up for both the present and the future. They still have an embarrassment of young talent yet to reach an extension, so who is next?