And the extension that supporters of the Braves have been yearning for.
The long-awaited deal has finally been announced by the Atlanta Braves. In recent months, the trade market and free agencyThe long-awaited deal has finally been announced by the Atlanta Braves. In recent months, the trade market and free agency have received the majority of focus. However, one topic that hasn’t received as much attention is striking a contract to keep Alex Anthopoulos as president of baseball operations for the long run. Thankfully, it was revealed today that Anthopoulos is not going anywhere. Let’s celebrate!
After 2024, the team’s general manager was supposed to become a free agent.
Following John Coppolella’s humiliating resignation as general manager at the conclusion of the 2017 campaign, Alex Anthopoulos initially joined the Braves prior to the 2018 campaign. All AA has done since taking the Braves by storm is win. The Braves have won the division each season since 2018.
Braves extend Alex Anthopoulos through 2031 after saving the franchise
During the last five years, Anthopoulos has been adding players to the Braves core. In 2019, he added Ronald Acuña Jr. and Ozzie Albies. In 2022 and 2023, he added Matt Olson, Austin Riley, Spencer Strider, and Michael Harris II. The Braves’ GM received Baseball America’s MLB Executive of the Year in 2022.
The Braves extended Anthopoulos’s original deal, which was supposed to expire after 2020, to 2024 in February 2020, along with manager Brian Snitker. He was given the position of President of Baseball Operations as well.
A year after his extension, Anthopoulos’s boldly bought at the 2021 MLB Trade Deadline, despite a sub-.500 record and losing Ronald Acuña Jr. to an ACL injury. The acquisitions of Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario, Adam Duvall, and Jorge Soler hit big, as each outfielder played a huge role in bringing in the first World Series Championship since 1995.
In the past two years, Anthopoulos has built 100+ win teams with help from aggressive promotions of Spencer Strider and Michael Harris II and savvy acquisitions of Matt Olson and Sean Murphy.
It’s a well-deserved extension for one of the best GM’s in the majors.
The new extension locks in the Braves GM for the next seven seasons. As Mark Bowman of MLB.com joked, it’s unknown whether this new extension includes a 1% donation to the Braves Foundation.
