MLB: The Braves have offered an 8-year contract worth $ 168 million to Matt Olson

ATLANTA — After cutting ties with Freddie Freeman the day before, the Atlanta Braves signed new first baseman Matt Olson to an eight-year, $168 million deal on Tuesday.

Olson wouldn’t have been able to claim free agency until November 2023, but the World Series champions quickly signed their new 27-year-old player until the conclusion of the 2029 season.

The deal includes an option year at the club’s discretion for 2030, worth $20 million with no buyout clause.

Braves general manager Alex Anthopoulos reacted quickly when he saw that a deal with Freeman would prove impossible. Freeman has been the Braves’ point guard for 10 years and was instrumental in their first World Series win since 1995.

The Georgia team traded four prospects to the Oakland Athletics for Olson, a star player in 2021 who has just hit 39 homers and produced 111 points, while maintaining offensive averages of .271/.371/.540.

Olson will earn $15 million in 2022, $21 million in 2023, and $22 million for each of the next six seasons.

It’s the biggest contract in Braves history, surpassing the $135 million eight-year deal awarded to Freeman in the 2013 season.

The Braves weren’t ready to commit for that long to the 32-year-old Freeman. Olson will be 28 at the end of the month.