The Braves are close to finalizing a three-year extension with third baseman Chris Johnson, a person familiar with the situation confirmed Thursday night. The deal was first reported by Fox Sports.com.
Johnson is set to join a handful of young Braves players who signed multiyear contracts this spring, including Freddie Freeman, Craig Kimbrel, Andrelton Simmons and Julio Teheran. The Braves also signed Jason Heyward to a two-year deal, buying him out of his final two years of arbitration. In a span of 17 days, the Braves spent a total of $280.7 million of guaranteed money on those five players.
Johnson avoided arbitration in late January by signing a one-year $4.75 million contract with the Braves. Now they are buying him out of his final two years of arbitration and his first year of free agency, with a club option for a possible second year of free agency. Salary figures were not immediately available.
When asked about it after Thursday’s game, Johnson said: “I don’t know what’s going on yet. I should know more a little bit later, maybe tomorrow.”
Johnson has made a big impression since he arrived in Atlanta as the so-dubbed “throw in” in the seven-player trade that brought Justin Upton from Arizona and sent Martin Prado to the Diamondbacks.
Johnson won the third-base job outright, after the Braves initially put him in a platoon with Juan Francisco early last season. Tasked with replacing the retired Chipper Jones at third base, Johnson went on to chase the National League batting title. He fell 10 points short shy of Michael Cuddyer as he hit a career-high .321.
He proved to be one of the Braves’ best clutch hitters last season, hitting .336 (39-for-116) with runners in scoring position to finish 10th in that category in the National League.
Entering Thursday’s game, Johnson was hitting .231 with one homer and four RBIs. In 25 games, he had struck out 25 times in 91 at-bats.
