LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. – The Braves signed pitcher Julio Teheran to a six-year, $32.4 million contract that includes a seventh-year option, and general manager Frank Wren described Friday's move as the second step in their plan to build long-term around their top young players.
The big first step came last week when they signed All-star first baseman Freddie Freeman to a club-record eight-year, $135 million contract that bought out all three of Freeman’s arbitration years and five of his potential free-agent seasons. Teheran was still two years away from arbitration eligibility.
“He’s got a chance to be a top part of the rotation guy for a long time,” Wren said of the Colombian right-hander who was 14-8 with a 3.20 ERA in 30 starts last season in his first full year in the majors.
The contract includes a $12 million option and $1 million buyout.
“I feel happy, excited,” said Teheran, who turned 23 in January. “Now that I know my family is taken care of, I can go out and relax and try to have fun. But it’s not going to change the kind of pitcher I am.”
The contract runs through 2019, which could have been his first year of free-agent eligibility. If the Braves pick up the 2020 option, which seems likely barring injury, they will have bought out the first two seasons of free agency and the deal would be worth $43.4 million over seven seasons.
Teheran got a $1 million signing bonus and will make $800,000 in 2014, then $1 million in 2015, $3.3 million in 2016, $6.3 million in 2017, $8 million in 2018 and $11 million in 2019.
The $32.4 million guaranteed portion was not far below Giants pitcher Madison Bumgarner’s $35 million contract, the record for a pitcher with less than two full years of major league service.
“It gets us through his first couple of free-agent years,” Wren said. “Again, (the goal is to) hold onto our young players, and again a lot of this is the product of having the opportunity to move into Cobb County and into a new ballpark and hopefully an area that allows us to stay competitive for the long term.”
The Braves expect to have significantly increased revenue streams when they move into their planned new ballpark in 2017.
Wren said the Teheran contract was done a week ago but that they had to wait for Teheran to get to the United States and pass his physical. He also said the Braves had “identified” other young players as core guys they hope to sign to long-term contracts. Wren wouldn’t name the others, but suffice to say that shortstop Andrelton Simmons is likely at the top of the list.
