The Atlanta Braves used their first-round playoff bye to work out a new deal for their promising rookie right-hand pitcher Spencer Strider. The team announced on Monday that Strider inked a six-year deal that will keep him with the franchise through 2028.
While the Braves didn’t disclose the financial terms of the agreement, Strider will reportedly get $75 million in the next six years. The deal also gives the Braves a club option for the 2029 MLB season. The option comes with a $22 million salary for Strider and a $5 million buyout.
After the news became official, Strider said that he expects not only to justify Atlanta’s confidence in him but also to outperform his contract.
“My goal is always to outperform any expectations,” Strider said after inking the deal. “There’s nobody that has higher aspirations or expectations for performance than myself. And so in that way, I don’t feel any pressure. The expectation is that I outperform any contract I ever sign.”
Strider is currently out with an oblique muscle strain, but the Braves are reportedly hoping the 23-year-old will be ready for their NLDS clash with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Spencer Strider played 31 games in 2022 in what has been his first full season in the majors. He made 20 starts and finished the campaign with an 11-5 record, 2.67 ERA, and 202 strikeouts. Strider needed only 130 innings to reach the 200 strikeouts mark, which now stands as an MLB record.
