The Atlanta Braves and third baseman Chris Johnson have reached an agreement on a three-year contract which includes a club option. Johnson’s new deal is worth $23.5 million while the 2018 option is worth $10 million.
Source: #Braves agree with Chris Johnson to 3-yr extension plus club option. Buys out final 2 yrs of arb, plus 1 and possibly 2 yrs of FA.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 1, 2014
Johnson’s new contract will buy out his last two arbitration eligible seasons as well as his first year of free agency. The option will allow the Braves to potential buy out his second year of free agency.
A season ago Johnson had a career best line of .321/.358/.457 with 12 home runs and 68 RBI. This season his numbers are down to .231/.260/.330 so obviously the Braves are hoping for him to bounce back.
The Braevs have been trying to extend their core plays since the end of last season. Thus far they have reached deals with Craig Kimbrel, Jason Heyward, Freddie Freeman, Andrelton Simmons and Julio Teheran.
