Chipper, Braves have discussed extension

Lake Buena Vista, Fla. — Chipper Jones and the Braves have had discussions about a contract extension for the veteran third baseman.

After winning the 2008 batting title with a .364 average at 36, Jones is in the final season of his contract, an option year that vested at the maximum $11 million.

He has spent his entire career in the Braves organization and ranks as one of the greatest switch-hitters in history, with a .310 average, 449 doubles, 408 homers and 1,374 RBIs in 15 seasons, along with a .408 on-base percentage.

The only switch-hitter with at least 300 homers and a .300 batting average, Jones won the 1999 MVP award and has eight top-12 finishes in MVP balloting.

He signed a six-year contract in 2001, which included a pair of $15 million options in 2007-08 that would have vested and pushed the value to $120 million.

He renegotiated the deal three years ago, reducing his salary, turning the option years to $11 million guarantees, and adding the 2009 option.

Johnson signs contract

Second baseman Kelly Johnson signed a one-year, $2.825 million contract, leaving Jeff Francoeur as the last unsigned arbitration-eligible Braves player.

Barring a last-minute settlement, the right fielder will fly to Phoenix on Thursday for an arbitration hearing Friday.

When players and teams swapped arbitration salary figures last month, Francoeur asked for $3.95 million and the Braves offered $2.8 million.

He and Johnson were eligible for arbitration for the first time. Francoeur, after consecutive seasons with 100 or more RBIs, hit .239 with 11 homers, 71 RBIs and a .294 on-base percentage in 2008.

Johnson hit .287 with 57 extra-base hits (12 home runs), 69 RBIs and a .349 OBP in his second full season, and his .333 average against left-handed pitchers was second-highest in the majors among lefty batters.

He settled at the midpoint between salary figures swapped last month.

Ticket sales down

Braves ticket sales are lagging, which president John Schuerholz said was not unexpected. “With the way the economy is, it’s happening all over,” he said. “But we didn’t get blindsided by this. We saw it coming.”

Schuerholz said the Braves “are redoubling our efforts, doing all we can to manage our decline in ticket sales as much as we can.

He said it would ultimately depend upon factors including the economy, the Braves’ performance, and how fans choose to spend discretionary income.

“We’re still the Braves, and we think that will serve this through this,” Schuerholz said. “But the reality is, people are hurting” financially.

Etc.

Reliever Rafael Soriano threw in the bullpen Wednesday during the Braves’ first full-squad workout, after missing the four days of pitchers-and-catchers workouts because of a lingering respiratory infection. Soriano reported no discomfort in his right elbow, which kept him on the disabled list most of last season before nerve-transposition surgery Aug. 28. … Tim Hudson also threw 20 low-intensity fastballs, the third mound session for the veteran right-hander who’s 6 1/2 months into his recovery from ligament-transplant elbow surgery. He’s not expected back until August.