Braves Extend Julio Teheran

Credit: Daniel Shirey-USA TODAY Sports

Happy Valentines Day Braves fans!  Braves fans everywhere are getting a great Valentines gift today from Frank Wren in the form of a contract extension for starting pitcher Julio Teheran.  Teheran gets a six-year contract extension from the Braves with a club option on a seventh year.  This will buy out all of Julio’s arbitration years plus his first year of free agency and possibly a second with the option year.

Julio was impressive in his 2013 rookie campaign.  He finished 5th in a very deep class of rookies for the NL Rookie of the Year voting, going 14-8 with a 3.20 ERA in 185.2 innings.  He struck out 170 which was good enough for a 8.2 K/9 rate.  He was really stingy with the walks, only allowing 45 all season, quite good for such a young pitcher learning his way through the league.  He was ninth in the National League last season with a 3.778 K/BB rate.  At times, Julio was the Braves best starter last season and he will only get better from here.

The numbers aren’t official yet, but this was tweeted out as a probable amount by Ken Rosenthal:

If that amount ends up being correct, and it looks like from all the reports that it is, then this is a MAJOR win for the Braves in my opinion.  It’s also being reported that the option year is for $12MM with a $1MM buy out.  $12MM for one season of a good starter is cheap NOW, think about what a deal it would be 7 years from now?  Another crazy money stat to think about it this, would you rather have Clayton Kershaw for one season at $30.4MM or Julio Teheran for 6 seasons for $32.4MM?  Give me Julio all day!!  Again, such a big win for the Braves here.  We should all bow down to the Wrenmaster!

Now that Freeman and Teheran are in the bag the big question on my mind is this: WHO IS NEXT?!?!  Simmons?  Minor?  Who would you like to see get signed next by the Wrenmaster?