Atlanta Braves' Ronald Acuña Jr. celebrates after scoring the winning run on an Ozzie Albies base hit during the 10th inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs, Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2023, in Atlanta. Acuña stole two bases in the game to become the first player in the majors to steal 70 bases and hit 40 home runs in a season. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
ATLANTA: General manager Alex Anthopoulos and the Atlanta Braves have reached a contract extension that will keep Anthopoulos with the six-time NL East winners through the 2031 campaign.
The organization locked up the general manager who managed a World Series championship in 2021 and was in charge of negotiating long-term contracts with other elite players when they announced the deal on Friday.
The Braves hired Anthopoulos during the 2017 season, when the team was reeling from four straight losing campaigns and embroiled in an international signing scandal. Major League Baseball first imposed a lifetime ban on his predecessor, John Coppolella, but that sanction was removed a year ago.
In 2018, Anthopoulos led the Braves to their first division championship run. Atlanta finished the previous season with an enormous league-high 104 wins before losing to Philadelphia in the NL Division Series for the second consecutive year.
Braves CEO Terry McGuirk was hailed by the 46-year-old Anthopoulos “for his continued support and trust.”
In a statement, Anthopoulos stated, “I’m proud of the success we’ve achieved together and the Braves are an incredible organization to be a part of.” “I am appreciative of the chance to oversee baseball operations going forward and to work toward bringing Atlanta another World Series.”
His prior Braves contract, which was set to expire in 2024, was made public in February 2020.
With this group, Anthopoulos seems to be building for the long term. The team’s nucleus, led by NL MVP Ronald Acuña Jr., has signed multiyear contracts, many of which are very advantageous to the franchise.
With club options remaining on his contract, Acuña, who made history in MLB history by becoming the first player to have 40 home runs and 70 stolen bases in a season, may remain in Atlanta until 2028. Others are attached to the Braves even longer, including third baseman Austin Riley, center fielder Michael Harris II, first baseman Matt Olson, starting pitcher Spencer Strider and catcher Sean Murphy.
Anthopoulos received credit for his actions prior to the 2021 trade deadline, which effectively gave the Braves a completely new outfield at a minimal cost. Joc Pedersen, Adam Duvall, Eddie Rosario, and Jorge Soler were crucial players in Atlanta’s first World Series victory since 1995.
“I’ve had a great working relationship with Alex, and I hope to have that for many years to come,” McGuirk stated. I’ve been in this game for a very long time, so I am aware of how exceptional Alex’s success has been. Simply put, nobody is superior in the industry.
McGuirk said the extension gives Anthopoulos “the runway to make long-term decisions and the opportunity to continue his track record of assembling teams that are perennial contenders.”
