ATLANTA — A big contract for the hometown kid.
The Atlanta Braves announced Tuesday that they signed outfielder Michael Harris II, a Stockbridge High School graduate, to an eight-year contract worth $72 million that runs through the 2030 season.
The deal includes a $15 million club option for 2031 with a $5 million buyout and a $20 million club option for 2032 with a $5 million buyout.
According to the Braves, Harris will make $5 million per season for 2023-2024, $8 million per season for 2025-2026, $9 million in 2027, $10 million per season in 2028-2029 and $12 million in 2030. The deal will be worth $102 million over 10 years if both options are exercised.
Harris and Braves General Manager Alex Anthopoulos spoke to the media at an introductory press conference on Wednesday.
"For me to be so young, and for the Braves to even consider me to be a part of this organization for that long is a blessing," Harris said. "It's something I can't put into words."
Harris, who celebrated the Braves World Series championship as a fan, instead of a player a year ago, is now a cornerstone of the franchise.
"We're telling the fans, we're telling the players in our clubhouse 'he's a core guy now, he's a pillar' and the way he goes about it is hopefully how some of the young players that come up behind him are going to see that those are the things that we want in this organization going forward," Anthopoulos said.
Harris II, 21, is hitting .287 with 12 home runs, 13 stolen bases and 39 RBI in 71 games this season. He played his first major league game at 21 years, 82 days old, becoming the youngest Georgia-born player to debut for the Braves since they moved to Atlanta in 1966.