Braves sign new 1B Matt Olson to $168 million, 8-year contract

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One day after cutting ties with Freddie Freeman, the Atlanta Braves signed new first baseman Matt Olson to a $168 million, eight-year contract on Tuesday.

Olson was not eligible for free agency until after the 2023 season, but the World Series champions quickly locked down the 27-year-old slugger through at least 2029. The deal also includes a $20 million club option for 2030 with no buyout.

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With a stunning bit of wheeling and dealing, the Braves addressed their potential hole at first base after failing to reach a deal with Freeman, who led the team for more than a decade and played a huge role in Atlanta capturing its first World Series championship since 1995.

The Braves dealt four top prospects to the Oakland Athletics for Olson, a 2021 All-Star coming off a season in which he had 39 homers and 111 RBIs while batting .271.

Olson will make $15 million this year, $21 million in 2023 and $22 million in each of the following six seasons.

It was the 10th contract of at least $100 million agreed to since the end of the World Series and the first since Major League Baseball's 99-day lockout ended last week,

The payout is the largest in Braves' history, surpassing the $135 million, eight-year deal that Freeman signed after the 2013 season.

FILE - Oakland Athletics' Matt Olson, right, hits a solo home run in front of Seattle Mariners catcher Tom Murphy, left, during the first inning of a baseball game in Oakland, Calif., Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2021. Freddie Freeman's tenure with the Atlanta Braves appears to be over after the World Series champions acquired All-Star first baseman Matt Olson from the