Spencer Strider’s breakout season is being rewarded in a big way.
The Atlanta Braves announced Monday that they had agreed to a six-year, $75 million contract with the 23-year-old right-handed pitcher.
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According to the team’s press release, this deal locks Strider down through the 2028 season. However, there’s a $22 million club option for 2029 with a $5 million buyout that could increase the total value of the contract to $92 million over seven years.
Strider -- who made his debut just over a year ago -- is currently making $710,000 this season. Under the new contract, he’s due to make $1 million and $4 million, respectively, over the next two seasons, before he hits a major payday worth $20 million in 2026. This contract puts him well in the range of the top-20 highest-paid pitchers around the league.
Strider is part of a long line of young talent that Atlanta recently signed for the foreseeable future.
His meteoric rise went hand-in-hand with the Braves’ success this past season-and-a-half and is being rewarded accordingly.
During the 2021 All-Star break, Atlanta sat third in the division and under .500. Few could have predicted the stunning turnaround they’d make in the second half of the season that eventually led to them winning only the second World Series since the franchise moved to Atlanta in 1966.
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As the team started to gear up for their playoff run, manager Brian Snitker relied on some young talent including Strider, who made two appearances in the final regular season series against the New York Mets.
Strider returned from the offseason with a newfound confidence and has emerged as a key figure for the Braves quest to defend their title.
Strider went 11-15 with a 2.67 ERA in 31 games -- 20 of which he started. He also became the first pitcher in MLB history to strike out over 200 batters while allowing fewer than 100 hits.
The Braves can breathe a sigh of relief that they’ve locked the nearly-24-year-old down, but will have to quickly return to the drawing board as they potentially navigate the playoffs without their rookie sensation. Strider is currently on the 15-day injury list battling an oblique injury. According to Maria Torres, the Braves are still evaluating his role in the team’s Division Series against the Philadelphia Phillies.
Atlanta will open the best-of-five series against Philadelphia tomorrow at home.