The Spencer Strider contract is looking… Rough

The Atlanta Braves seemingly had a golden opportunity to extend their season-long win streak to six games last night against the lowly White Sox. Instead, the free-fall of the once magnificent Spencer Strider continued.

Strider’s first season back from InternalBrace surgery has been nothing short of a rollercoaster. He returned in mid-April, only to hit the IL again after just one start with a hamstring injury that sidelined him for more than a month. When he finally came back in May, diminished velocity forced him into an adjustment period. But by June and July, it looked like he was beginning to figure things out.

From June 14th through July 28th, Strider turned in a 2.91 ERA with 68 strikeouts across 52.2 innings. The heater wasn’t touching the upper 90s like it had pre-surgery, but he was locating it well, missing bats, and looking more and more like a frontline starter again.

Unfortunately, August has raised serious questions about where the 26-year-old right-hander fits into the Braves’ future plans. He’s failed to make it through five innings in any of his three starts, allowing at least five earned runs in each, leading to a 15.43 ERA.

Struggles following one UCL surgery are common. After two, they’re almost expected, and that’s the reality Spencer Strider faces. His repertoire, stamina, and command all need fine-tuning, which could come with time, especially after a full — and hopefully healthy — offseason.

Still, there’s no ignoring the concern. Spencer Strider was expected to be Max Fried‘s successor, the next ace of the Braves staff for the foreseeable future. The Braves wasted no time extending him after just one season in the bigs, inking him to a six-year, $75 million contract.

So far, that deal hasn’t hurt the club. Strider made just $1 million in 2023 and 2024 before receiving a pay bump to $4 million this season. But he’s owed $64 million over the next three seasons, a hefty commitment to a pitcher that’s currently making Bryce Elder look like Greg Maddux.

It’s another reminder that the early extensions Alex Anthopoulos handed out to pre-arbitration players weren’t the outright steals they were once billed as. There was always risk involved, and in Strider’s case, the Braves may soon feel the full weight of it.

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