Third baseman Chris Johnson signed a three-year contract extension with the Atlanta Braves on Friday.He is signed with the Braves through 2017.
The deal is worth $23.5 million.The new deal buys out the final two seasons that Johnson was eligible for arbitration. This year he has a one-year deal and is making $4.75 million. Next year he will make $6 million and his salary will go up to $9 million in 2017. There is a club option for 2018 for $10 million with a $1 million buyout, according to the Associated Press. He would have been eligible for free agency at the end of 2016.
Johnson went to the Braves in a January 2013 trade with the Arizona Diamondbacks where they traded Justin Upton for him. He shared third-base duties with Juan Francisco last year. He hit .321, which was the second-best batting average in the National League, with 12 homeruns and 68 RBI’s last year. Johnson has struggled this year however. He is hitting .255 with one homerun and.641 OPS, according to MLB.com.
Johnson’s deal shows the Braves commitment to keeping their core player together. Johnson is the sixth Braves player to sign an extension this year. Freddie Freeman, Julio Teheran, Andrelton Simmons, Craig Kimbrel, and Jason Heyward are the other players that have singed extensions.
The Braves are currently 17-9 and lead the NL East.