A day after swinging a blockbuster trade to land Matt Olson from the A's, the Braves have made another sizable commitment to keep the All-Star first baseman in Atlanta.
The Braves have agreed to an eight-year, $168 million contract extension with Olson, the team announced on Tuesday. The deal was first reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
The deal runs through the 2029 season, with a $20 million team option for 2030. Olson will make $15 million in 2022, $21 million in 2023 and $22 million per year for the remainder of the deal. The contract keeps Olson under team control through his age-36 season.
Atlanta acquired Olson from Oakland on Monday in exchange for outfielder Cristian Pache, catcher Shea Langeliers, starting pitcher Ryan Cusick and starting pitcher Joey Estes. Pache is a former top prospect lauded for his defense, while Langeliers was the No. 9 overall pick in the 2019 draft. Cusick was the No. 24 pick in the 2021 draft, while Estes is a 20-year-old right-handed pitcher who had a 2.91 ERA across 20 starts at Single-A last season.
Olson's arrival in Atlanta likely brings about the end of Freddie Freeman's tenure with the Braves. Freeman, still a free agent, has spent his entire career with Atlanta after being drafted in the second round by the team in 2007.
