Michael Harris II, Braves Agree to 8-Year, $72M Contract Extension

The Atlanta Braves announced Tuesday they reached an
agreement with Rookie of the Year contender Michael Harris II on an
eight-year, $72 million contract extension.

Harris’ new deal also includes a pair
of club options, which could turn it into a 10-year, $102 million
pact that runs through the 2032 MLB season.

The 21-year-old outfielder has compiled
a .287/.325/.500 slash line with 12 home runs and 13 stolen bases in
71 appearances during his debut campaign.

Harris arrived to the majors on May 28,
when the reigning World Series champions owned a 22-25 record and sat
8.5 games behind the New York Mets in the NL East standings.

The Braves have compiled a 50-21 mark since that point and have moved within 3.5 games of the Mets after
winning the first two games of an ongoing head-to-head series.

Harris, a native of Georgia’s DeKalb
County, endeared himself to Braves Country in recent years by either
watching the team’s playoff games in full uniform or attending them
as a fan:

Now he’s a major part of Atlanta’s
effort to capture a second straight World Series title.

His extension is the latest in a recent
trend of the Braves rewarding young stars early in their careers in
order to buy out a couple of free-agent seasons.

Atlanta signed outfielder Ronald Acuña
Jr. to an eight-year, $100 million extension in 2019 before his
second season in the majors and inked second baseman Ozzie Albies to
a seven-year, $35 million deal early in his third MLB campaign, also
in 2019.

The Braves waited a little longer on
third baseman Austin Riley, who’s in the midst of his fourth season,
and it cost them as he landed a 10-year, $212 million contract after
emerging as an MVP candidate.

In all, a large portion of the club’s
core is now under team control for an extended period:

While the early extensions come with risk if players don’t live up to their
potential, so far it’s worked for Atlanta as the club attempts to keep its championship window open without trying to outbid the
big-spending Mets or Los Angeles Dodgers in free agency.

Harris and the Braves, who are riding
an eight-game winning streak, will look to stay hot with two games
left in a crucial series against the Mets.

The outfielder will likely receive a
strong ovation at Truist Park on Wednesday night in his first game
since signing the new contract.