How the Spencer Strider contract extension came together

The Atlanta Braves locked up another huge piece of their young core. Here’s how they secured Spencer Strider to a five-year extension.

Immediately after the Atlanta Braves signed star right-hander Spencer Strider to a contract extension on Monday, one rival agent said: “I was going to shit on it, then I saw the terms, and I was like, “That’s a really good deal.”

The terms — five years, $76 million with a $22 million club option for a sixth season — ensures that Strider will stay in Atlanta through at least the 2028 season. Strider will earn $46 million in his first three arbitration years, which shatters the previous record held by former Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta.

Talks regarding a Strider extension began in early September. One source predicted that Strider would not do an early extension, saying: “He’s so freaking good and won’t sell himself short. I’d doubt he’d do an early extension unless the offer was too good to be true.”

But Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos engaged with Strider’s camp and there appeared to be a path toward a deal for both sides. For Anthopoulos, it was signing one of the sport’s best young pitchers, continuing to solidify the young core in Atlanta and maintaining flexibility for future additions, whether that’s extending Dansby Swanson and/or adding players in free agency or via trade.

No executive has been as proactive in extending players as Anthopoulos. With Strider now signed, take a look at the long-term core in Atlanta:

• Austin Riley 2033
• Michael Harris II, 2032
• Matt Olson, 2030
• Spencer Strider, 2029
• Ronald Acuña Jr., 2028
• Vaughn Grissom, 2028
• Ozzie Albies, 2027
• William Contreras, 2027
• Kyle Wright, 2026

Spencer Strider could be a huge long-term value for the Atlanta Braves

For Strider, he gets $75 million guaranteed and is signed until his age-29 or 30 seasons, and has the opportunity to receive a massive payday in free agency. But as MLB Trade Rumors noted, the extension could set a new precedent throughout the league. Not only did it shatter Arrieta’s record, it:

• beat the previous record extension for a pitcher with between one or two years of service time (Madison Bumgarner: five years, $35 million).
• also beats the previous record extension for a pitcher with two or three years of service time (Blake Snell: five years, $50 million; Sandy Alcantara: five years, $56 million).

The next order of business for the Braves is to continue their efforts toward extending Swanson before he becomes a free agent. The two sides have talked in recent months, sources said, but as his breakout season continues, the price tag that rival executives predicted to be around six years, $120-140 million also continues to grow.