BALTIMORE — The Atlanta Braves announced on Monday that they signed strikeout-inducing starter Spencer Strider to a deal that could last through the 2029 season, keeping the rookie right-hander under team control one to two years beyond when he otherwise would have become a free agent.
With the agreement, Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman became the only young star expected to finish in the top two of either league’s Rookie of the Year voting without a long-term contract.
Two months before locking down Strider, Atlanta did the same with outfielder Michael Harris II via an eight-year, $72 million deal with team options for two more seasons. A week later, Seattle outfielder Julio Rodríguez, Rutschman’s main opposition for the American League honor, signed for $210 million guaranteed through 2029, with options and escalators that could result in a $470 million contract good through 2039. Strider’s agreement has six guaranteed years for $75 million, with a seventh-year club option that would push the total to $92 million.
