NORTH PORT, Fla. — The day after Atlanta acquired him in a March 2022 trade, and before he had even played a game for the Braves, Matt Olson knew he wanted to be with the team for a long time.
It helped that the contract extension they were offering Olson was substantial: $168 million over eight years for a power-hitting, slick-fielding first baseman who was still in his 20s. And it helped that the team was good: Atlanta had won the 2021 World Series and its window for contention was still wide open.
As he considered the extension, Olson, who had spent the previous six years with the Oakland Athletics, said he didn’t really know anyone on the Atlanta roster he could chat with to gain behind-the-scenes insight. In a way, he didn’t need it. He already knew what he was getting into.
Atlanta is home. Olson, 29, was raised in Lilburn, Ga., a suburb about 30 minutes from Turner Field, the team’s former stadium. He grew up watching and rooting for the Braves when they were enjoying a stretch of winning 14 consecutive division titles, five National League pennants and the 1995 World Series, a run that began before he was born. His wife is also from Atlanta. They married and bought a home there. Their parents still live in the area, too.
“Braves Country has a pretty big pull,”…
