The Atlanta Braves have signed star third baseman Austin Riley to a 10-year, $212 million contract, the most lucrative deal in team history and a surprise given he had three additional seasons under club control.
The deal starts in 2023 and runs through the '32 season, and it includes a $20 million club option for 2033. Riley also agreed to donate $2.12 million to the Atlanta Braves Foundation, according to the team.
The news comes just weeks after the 25-year-old Riley appeared in his first All-Star Game. He's currently hitting .301 with 29 home runs and 68 RBI, with a .964 OPS in 101 games this season. His 61 extra-base hits are the most in the majors, and included 26 in July -- which broke Hank Aaron's previous franchise record by one (1961).
Riley currently has the second-shortest odds to win NL MVP at +500, behind only Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals (-140).
Riley was a first-round pick of the Braves in 2015.
He made his major league debut four years later, and he broke out last season, finishing seventh in NL MVP voting after hitting .303 with 33 home runs and 107 RBIs.
With the extension, the Braves' young core of Riley, Ronald Acuna Jr. and Ozzie Albies are all now signed through at least 2025 (Albies' contract runs through 2025, with team options in 2026 and '27; Acuña's deal runs through 2026, with team options in 2027 and '28). All three are ages 25 or younger.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
