MLB Insider Sheds Light on Potential Cost of Drake Baldwin Contract Extension With Atlanta Braves
· Yahoo Sports
The Atlanta Braves struck gold in the 2022 MLB Draft with the selection of catcher Drake Baldwin with the 96th overall pick. As he emerges as an All-Star and one of the new faces of the franchise, a historic contract extension could be next for the reigning NL Rookie of the Year.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that while the Braves haven’t started to “seriously engage” with Baldwin to discuss a possible contract extension, an eventual deal could reset the market at catchers.
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- Drake Baldwin stats 2026 (ESPN): 9 home runs, 30 RBI, .313/.392/.532, .922 triple-slash line in 147 at-bats this season
Baldwin, 25, is proving that his breakout season last year was no fluke. Atlanta’s emerging All-Star has raised his walk rate (8.5% to 9.6%) and his isolated power (.195 to .218) thus far. He’s clearly one of the best catchers in baseball, and his offensive production has been critical for a club that has also dealt with early struggles from Austin Riley and Ronald Acuña Jr.
Cal Raleigh is currently the highest-paid catcher in MLB at a $17.5 million average annual value. Notably, Raleigh and Los Angeles Dodgers star Will Smith are the only catchers signed to contracts worth $100 million or more. Realistically, Baldwin would reach that territory if he signed a long-term deal.
There’s certainly no reason for Atlanta to rush into negotiations with Murphy. He’s not even arbitration-eligible for the first time until after the 2027 MLB season. There’s still additional team control after that, so he won’t be eligible for MLB free agency until 2030.
Rosenthal went on to explain why the record for the highest AAV ever for a catcher, $23.1 million, is a figure Baldwin could surpass with his next deal. If that’s the case, Atlanta could be looking at a contract extension of five-plus years worth in the neighborhood of $120 million total.
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