Braves

WASHINGTON -- Orlando Arcia won the starting shortstop job during Spring Training, and he will enter this season with the comfort of a contract extension.

Swanson signed with the Cubs in December, after easily leading all MLB shortstops with 21 [Outs Above Average](https://www.mlb.com/glossary/statcast/outs-above-average) last year. Arcia could end up with a four-year, $8.3 million deal if the fourth season option is exercised. The 28-year-old infielder received this news on Wednesday night, as he prepared to serve as Atlanta’s Opening Day shortstop at Nationals Park on Thursday afternoon, and the team made it official the morning of the game.

It's Opening Day for Major League Baseball and the Atlanta Braves are starting their season on the road today against the Washington Nationals.

The Braves have won an MLB record 22 divisional titles, 18 National League pennants, and four World Series championships. They are currently one of the favorites to win the World Series again this year. The roster includes seven players who will be wearing a Braves jersey for the first time in their career this year, including C Sean Murphy. The Braves and Nationals will face off 13 times throughout the season. [Click here](https://www.atlantabraveshomeopener.com/) for home opener tickets. The day is usually filled with pregame festivities, including player introductions, ceremonial first pitches, special promotions and giveaways, and more.

The deal replaces Arcia's previous contract, under which he was set to earn $1.3MM in 2023 with a $2MM club option with a $100K buyout for next season. Instead, ...

Instead, Arcia will earn $2.3MM in 2023 and $2MM in each of 2024 and 2025, with a $1MM buyout on the 2026 option, which [Mark Bowman of MLB.com reports](https://twitter.com/mlbbowman/status/1641414871337033728) is worth $2MM. Judging by his previous work in a full-time role with the Brewers, Arcia figures to be a below-average bat with an above-average glove at short for the Braves this year. In 2023, Arcia enters the season as the club’s everyday shortstop following the departure of Should that not prove to be the case, the Braves will still have a long-term, quality bench option at their disposal going forward who’s still on the right side of 30. While he combined for +5 DRS and +8 OAA in those four seasons, that includes highs of +7 DRS and +8 OAA in 2018 and lows of -6 DRS and -5 OAA from 2019-2020. Arcia’s new deal will cover his age 28 through age 30 seasons, with the club option giving the Braves team control through age 31. If Arcia’s 2022 improvements hold over in a larger sample this year, he could prove to be an above-average two-way regular for the Braves in 2023. Either could realistically supplant Arcia as the starter at shortstop in 2023, pushing him into his more familiar bench role. Over that time, Arcia was generally solid with the glove, though defensive metrics were mixed on his performance on a season-to-season basis. [Dansby Swanson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/swansda01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-30_br), with youngsters [Vaughn Grissom](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/g/grissva01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-30_br) and [Braden Shewmake](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=shewma000bra&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-30_br) waiting in the wings at Triple-A. Those gains came on the back of improvements to both his walk rate and ISO compared to his 2017-2020 seasons with the Brewers. [Orlando Arcia](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/arciaor01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.mlbtraderumors.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-30_br) are reportedly in agreement on a three-year, $7.3MM extension that includes a club option for the 2026 season, [according to Robert Murray of FanSided.](https://twitter.com/ByRobertMurray/status/1641407281622560770) The deal replaces Arcia’s [previous contract](https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/11/braves-to-sign-orlando-arcia-to-two-year-guarantee.html), under which he was set to earn $1.3MM in 2023 with a $2MM club option with a $100K buyout for next season.

Shortstop Orlando Arcia and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a three-year, $7.3 million contract that includes a club option for 2026, according to ...

The 2023 season was set to be the last of the two-year pact that Arcia inked with the team in November of 2021 although that deal did contain a $2 million club option for the 2024 season. Shortstop Orlando Arcia and the Atlanta Braves are in agreement on a three-year, $7.3 million contract that includes a club option for 2026, according to sources familiar with the deal. FanSided’s Robert Murray reports that the Braves and infielder Orlando Arcia are in agreement on a three year, $7.3 million contract that includes a club option for 2026.

The day we have been waiting for is finally here: Opening Day. Opening Day Eve was not a dull day, however, with the MLBPA agreeing to a CBA with the league ...

[ final offseason mailbag](https://www.batterypower.com/2023/3/29/23661025/atlanta-braves-mailbag-left-field-picture-going-forward-replenishing-the-minors-and-more). [Braves’ Opening Day roster](https://www.batterypower.com/2023/3/29/23657231/atlanta-braves-2023-opening-day-roster-profiles). [optimistic piece about the 2023 Braves](https://www.batterypower.com/2023/3/29/23662131/atlanta-braves-season-preview-opening-day-confidence-nervousness-tangible-intangible-they-are-good). ESPN’s Jeff Passan laid out the new pay structure in the agreement. [first series preview of the season](https://www.batterypower.com/2023/3/29/23661034/braves-vs-nationals-series-preview-pitching-probables-time-tv). The entire season is in front of them, but the Braves should expect to win this opening series behind Max Fried, Spencer Strider, and Jared Shuster against a bad opponent.

it's Matt Olson who David O'Brien of The Athletic thinks will be the Braves' team MVP, and I don't disagree.

When the Braves traded for him, Olson was coming off a season in which he posted 39 home runs and 5.1 fWAR, resulting in an 8th-place finish in the AL MVP race. [Ronald Acuna Jr.](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/a/acunaro01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.sportstalkatl.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-28_br) has the second-best odds in the National League at most betting outlets, and [Austin Riley](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/r/rileyau01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.sportstalkatl.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-28_br) isn’t far behind. In his first season with the Braves, Olson hit a career-high 44 doubles with 34 homers and 103 RBIs. [Freddie Freeman](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/freemfr01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.sportstalkatl.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-28_br). It’s just Spring Training, but nobody can deny how great he looks right now. Moreover, [nobody on the Braves should benefit more from the shift ban](https://www.sportstalkatl.com/how-will-the-mlb-shift-ban-affect-the-atlanta-braves/). ](https://theanalyst.com/na/2022/08/who-figures-to-benefit-the-most-if-the-defensive-shift-is-banned/)And if his Spring Training performances are any indication, the MVP will be coming to Atlanta. I won’t be surprised if Matt Olson reaches a .900 OPS, with 40 home runs, accumulates 5.0 fWAR in the 2023 season, and finishes well inside the top 10 of the NL MVP voting. Take it with a grain of salt, but Olson hit .426, slugging 1.000 with eight home runs and 18 RBIs in 47 at-bats. But it’s [Matt Olson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=olsonma02,olson-006mat&search=Matt+Olson&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.sportstalkatl.com&utm_campaign=2023-03-28_br) who [David O’Brien of The Athletic ](https://theathletic.com/4345269/2023/03/28/mlb-team-mvp-predictions/?source=emp_shared_article)thinks will be the club’s MVP, [and I don’t disagree.](https://www.sportstalkatl.com/matt-olsons-2023-mvp-campaign-off-to-encouraging-start-in-braves-spring-training/) [Atlanta Braves] However, Olson seems more relaxed this spring and has been locked in at the plate from Day 1. But he also endured a career-worst late-season slump and finished with a .240 average and .802 OPS which were well below what he did in his last two full seasons with