Braves agree to extension with Chipper Jones

Mar 31, 2009 - 1:42 PM LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida (TIcker) - The Atlanta Braves on Tuesday agreed to terms with third baseman Chipper Jones on a three-year contract extension.

Financial terms of the deal were not announced.

Jones was due to become a free agent after the 2009 season, but the extension runs through the 2012 campaign, with a vesting option for 2013, and virtually guarantees that the 36-year-old Jones will play his entire Major League career in a Braves uniform.

"This contract ensures that Chipper will play his whole career as a Brave, which was a key factor for us, our fans and for Chipper," Braves general manager Frank Wren said. "Chipper has been an outstanding performer with our club for a long time and he is still a key part of our team."

The 1999 National League Most Valuable Player and a six-time All-Star, Jones has posted one of the most impressive careers ever for a switch hitter. His .310 lifetime batting average ranks second all-time among switch hitters, behind only Frankie Frisch (.316), while his 408 home runs rank third behind Mickey Mantle (536) and Eddie Murray (504).

Jones is the only switch hitter in history with at least 300 home runs and a .300 career batting average.

In 2008, Jones claimed his first career batting title by hitting .364, the second-best single-season average ever for a switch hitter, behind Mantle's .365 mark in 1957. Jones also clubbed 22 home runs with 75 RBI in 128 games.

Selected by the Braves as the first overall pick in the 1990 draft, Jones made his Major League debut in 1993. He missed the entire 1994 campaign due to a left knee injury, and finished second in N.L. Rookie of the Year voting in 1995, when he batted .265 with 23 home runs and 86 RBI.