Just one week after signing Ronald Acuña to a 10-year contract extension, the Atlanta Braves locked up another one of their young stars for the long term.
The Braves and Ozzie Albies agreed to a 7-year, $35 million contract extension on Thursday.
The deal also includes two club options for the 2026 and 2027 seasons, valued at $7 million each.
This means that the total value of the contract could climb to $49 million.
The Braves’ 22-year-old dynamite is one of the top second basemen in the league. Since making his debut late in the 2017 season, Albies has batted .271/.321/.453 in 227 games.
He has socked 31 home runs and stolen 24 bases in that time.
The Curaçaoan second baseman was named to the NL All Star team in 2018, his first full season in the major leagues.
Many in baseball were surprised at the relatively low price for which the Braves were able to extend his contract considering his high level of production for such a young age.
For Albies, the desire to remain in Atlanta and to secure his financial future outweighed the risk of signing a smaller contract.
In any case, the Braves are ecstatic to have now locked up two of their young stars for the foreseeable future.
