Luis Edu
The Atlanta Braves are the reigning Major League Baseball champions, and in this list we will go through the best contracts of a franchise that proved to be a winner, despite the absence of Ronald Acuña Jr. in the lineup.
Best Atlanta Braves Contracts 2022 | Charlie Morton
Charlie Morton is a 38-year-old starter who, in the final stretch of his MLB career, agreed to a one-season, $20 million deal with the Braves.
Well, that’s not an insignificant figure for a pitcher who in 2021 finished with a record of 14 wins and 6 losses, 3.34 ERA and 1.04 WHIP. He also totaled 216 strikeouts in 185.2 innings of work.
Morton is expected to be one of the spearheads of Atlanta’s rotation in the midst of the fierce fight for the National League East Division pennant.
Best Atlanta Braves Contracts 2022 | Ozzie Albies
Ozzie Albies has established himself as one of the best second basemen in baseball, so the 7-year, $35 million extension he recently received is well deserved.
The young player born in Curaçao offers tremendous solvency with the glove, in addition to his speed and good batting. In the 2021 campaign, he finished with 30 home runs and 106 RBIs.
After reviewing Albies’ numbers from the last campaign, it looks like the Braves are definitely the big winners in this deal that translates to just $5 million per year for the player.
Best Atlanta Braves Contracts 2022 | Will Smith
Will Smith is one of the few stellar left-handed closers in today’s MLB—something that was already recognized by the Braves when they gave him a 3-year, $40 million contract.
The veteran pitcher has become one of the main bullpen cards for the team from Atlanta, after saving 37 games in the previous campaign, posting a 3.44 ERA and 1.13 WHIP.
Despite having only two campaigns with more than 30 saves, Smith has proven to be an important pitcher.
Best Atlanta Braves Contracts 2022 | Marcell Ozuna
Marcell Ozuna was unable to shine with the Braves in the title campaign due to injuries and extra-sporting problems; however, he remains with the second-best contract in the franchise.
The Dominican outfielder has a 4-year, $65 million deal, resulting in an annual salary of just over $16 million.
After 9 years in the MLB, Ozuna has 173 home runs and 620 RBIs. In addition to that, he is batting for a .273 average.
Best Atlanta Braves Contracts 2022 | Ronald Acuña Jr.
The fact that the best player on the team would have the best contract makes complete sense. However, it doesn’t seem to be good enough for a player who appears to have enough to put up numbers that would get him into the MLB Hall of Fame.
Ronald Acuña Jr. has an 8-year, $100 million contract, which equates to an annual salary of $12.5 million.
In just four campaigns in the best baseball in the world, Acuña Jr. has demonstrated the ability to do well in virtually each and every area of the game. In 2021, he could only total 82 games, where he connected 24 home runs, 52 RBIs and 17 stolen bases.
After reviewing the Bravos’ best deals for the upcoming campaign, it is clear that we are talking about a team that, without being among the most powerful in the league, has reached important agreements with players that guarantee good performances in the coming years.
