As it turns out, the Atlanta Braves didn’t have to choose between a long-term deal for franchise icon Freddie Freeman and two years of a similarly talented younger star.
Less than 24 hours after trading for strapping first baseman Matt Olson in a five-player deal with the Oakland Athletics, the Braves signed him to a deal that could lock him into their lineup through 2030.
The team announced the deal to the astonishment of a fan base still reeling from the revelation that Freeman would be donning a new uniform in 2022.
It's an eight-year, $168 million deal that buys out at least six seasons of Olson’s free agency, with a club option for 2030.