Ozzie Albies has agreed to an extension for 7 years and $35 million, including two club-option years. With the option years, the total contract will be 9 years and $45 million.
Albies first signed with the Braves in 2013, signing for $350,000 out of Willemstad, Curaçao as an international free agent. He spent three and a half years in the minor leagues, racking up a total of 472 hits and 16 homers. He was never expected to hit for power, as his career minors slash line sits at .304/.365/.424.
His first opportunity at the major league level came in the summer of 2017 when Brandon Phillips had to spend some time nursing an injury. He played solidly the rest of the year for the Braves, hitting .286/.354/.456. In 2018, he started off extremely hot, hitting nine homers in the months of March and April. This led to his first All-Star team selection. In the second half, he came back down to Earth, but he finished the season with 105 hits and 24 homers.
Many general managers have been commenting on the extension saying it’s the worst contract ever for a player. While it is an extremely team-friendly deal, I personally think it was good to get an extension done for both the team and Albies. He locks up his future with some guaranteed money, and the Braves avoid arbitration years with their future star second baseman.
Let me know what you think of the deal in the comments below!
