By Paul Newberry, AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) -- Tim
Hudson agreed to a three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves on
Thursday, giving the team a wealth of starting pitching and setting up
a likely trade to bolster the offense.
Hudson could have returned to the Braves under a $12 million mutual
option, but the two sides focused on a longer deal after the
right-hander showed he had overcome major elbow surgery. They worked
out an agreement through 2012, with a club option for 2013.
Financial terms were not immediately available, but the sides were
thought to be discussing a contract between $9 million and $10 million
a season.
The 34-year-old Hudson grew up in
neighboring Alabama and said all along he was willing to give the
Braves a discount to remain close to home. The agreement was reached
quickly after the team completed its postseason organizational meetings.
The pitcher said it actually took longer to schedule a physical and set
up insurance for the new contract than the actual negotiations.
"I did all I could do to get healthy and show them they could have
confidence in me," said Hudson, who returned to start seven games late
in the season after missing a full year. "They came to me with an
opening offer than was more than fair. They showed me they really
wanted to get something done, as did I."
The Braves now have six starters under contract for next season:
Hudson, Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Derek Lowe and
Kenshin Kawakami.
Jurrjens (14-10, 2.60
ERA) and Hanson (11-4, 2.89), both 23, are the long-term cornerstones
of the staff and Vazquez is coming off one of the best seasons (15-10,
2.87) of his career. Vazquez, who is heading into the final year of his
contract, might be the most attractive pitcher in a trade since Lowe
(15-10, 4.67) and Kawakami (7-12, 3.86) are both in the middle of
expensive, long-term deals.
"We felt like
the strength of our ballclub was the starting rotation, and we wanted
to continue to have that as our strength," general manager Frank Wren
said. "Now we have the ability to go out and continue to mold our
ballclub. Quite frankly, I don't know what it's going to look like on
opening day, but it's starting to take form. This is the first step."
The Braves ranked third in the NL with a 3.57 ERA, while the offense
improved after Wren made trades for first baseman Adam LaRoche and
center fielder Nate McLouth. But LaRoche is a free agent and the team
may be reluctant to sign him to a long-term deal with top prospect
Freddie Freeman close to being ready for the big leagues.
The outfield also needs an upgrade. Left fielder Garret Anderson is a
free agent and unlikely to return, while Wren must weigh any moves with
an eye toward making room for the team's best prospect, outfielder
Jason Heyward, who could make the jump to the big leagues as soon as
next season.
Then there's the bullpen:
co-closers Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez have both filed for free
agency; the team would like to bring at least one of them back.
"This does give us depth and strength in one area of our club and
allows us to have flexibility to do other things now," Wren said.
"We're a work in progress."
Hudson, a
former 20-game winner in Oakland, was the ace of the Braves' staff
until he tore up his elbow during the 2008 season. He underwent Tommy
John ligament replacement surgery and was out for a full year.
But he returned at the end of this past season to go 2-1 with a 3.61
ERA in his seven starts, proving to the Braves that his right elbow
would be at full strength in 2010.
"I'll
tell you what, man, it feels really, really good," said Hudson, who
recently began his offseason conditioning program. "It feels just as
normal as my left elbow. I didn't think I would ever be able to say
that."
Hudson, who was part of a rotation
in Oakland that included Barry Zito and Mark Mulder, believes the
Braves have a chance to be even better with Jurrjens and Hanson leading
the way.
"J.J. and Tommy are two of the
best young pitchers I've seen in a long time," Hudson said. "I'm
willing to say this is by far the best staff I've been on in my big
league career. We have some great pitchers who can go out there and
give us a great chance to win every time."
Hudson also looks forward to being around for Bobby Cox's last season
as manager. He has already said that he'll move into an advisory role
with the team after one more year in the dugout.
"He deserves a great season, if not a championship season," Hudson
said. "He's such a pleasure to play for. We're going to go out there
and give it all we've got."
Received 11/12/09 12:09 pm ET
