LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — While it can be debated whether the Braves have done enough in this offseason to compete for a World Series, there is little doubt they are positioning themselves nicely for the future.
Just 10 days after first baseman Freddie Freeman signed a franchise record eight-year, $135 million contract, the Braves signed pitcher Julio Teheran, a potential top-of-the-rotation starter for several seasons, to a six-year deal worth just over $32 million.
For an organization that has lost a number of legends and or/staples in the clubhouse through retirements or exits over the last several years — including Chipper Jones, Tim Hudson and Brian McCann recently; John Smoltz, Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux before them– locking up Freeman and Teheran are two significant steps toward future stability.
Freeman was the team’s most valuable player last year in his break-through third season, hitting .319 with 23 homers and driving in 109 runs. Teheran showed last season he can have that kind of impact. In his first full season, at the age of 22, he went 14-8 with 3.2o ERA and 170 strikeouts with only 45 walks in 185.2 innings.
“We’ve been impressed with his approach, his make-up and his maturity,” said general manager Frank Wren, who made the announcement Friday as Braves’ pitchers and catchers were beginning their first official workout of spring training at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex. “He’s made great strides and we also saw him rise to the occasion in the biggest moments. It gave us confidence that he had the makeup and maturity to be a player we can count on for a long time.”
Teheran will compete this camp to be the team’s No. 1 starter but Wren avoided labels Friday. “We feel he has a chance to be a top of the rotation guy. As far as throwing around numbers, I don’t know that that’s easy to quantify.”
The first six years of Teheran’s contract are worth $32.4 million (first reported by Fox Sports). The deal also includes a seventh-year option that could take him through the 2020 season and the first two years of free agency.
As with any long-term contract, the Braves are taking some risk. Teheran has been a full-time major leaguer for only one season. But he just turned 23 years old and if he progresses as expected, and assuming what they’ve witnessed is not an aberration, the contract could amount to a relative bargain.
