Braves sign closer Billy Wagner

By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves didn't wait until their free-agent closers were gone before signing a highly accomplished replacement -- veteran fireballer Billy Wagner.

Wagner, who ranks sixth all-time with 385 saves, agreed to a one-year, $7 million contract with a vesting option for a second season.

It helped that the 38-year-old left-hander grew up a Braves fan in southwest Virginia and had mentioned to Braves manager Bobby Cox several times over the years that he would like to pitch for him some day.

When Cox accompanied general manager Frank Wren and pitching coach Roger McDowell on a Nov. 24 recruiting visit to Virginia, Wagner was impressed.

"It's a once-in-a-lifetime situation where you honestly get to come [to a team] you grew up watching and admiring the guys that played," said Wagner, who missed most of the 2009 season recovering from ligament-transplant elbow surgery, but came back strong in August.

"They've got such a great tradition here of winning and competing and having great guys, that you want to be a part of that. I'm excited about the opportunity, and know that they'll get the best I have to offer."

Before the deal was completed Wednesday, he had to pass a physical in Atlanta. The Braves saw it more as a formality, since he had shown in 17 late-season appearances that he was recovered from September 2008 elbow surgery.

Wagner passed the physical and was introduced at an afternoon news conference at Turner Field, where he displayed the No. 13 jersey he'll wear. (Center fielder Nate McLouth gave up the number, which Wagner has worn since childhood.)

"He's been a dominating guy that you always wanted on your side," Cox said. "And a gamer. Character and being a great teammate, [always] willing to go out there, means a lot to me. And we've always organized our team with people like that, or tried to. I think it's a good way to go about it."

The Braves agreed to terms with Wagner late Tuesday, hours after they offered arbitration to free agents Rafael Soriano and Mike Gonzalez, who split closer duties in 2008 and combined for 37 saves and 192 strikeouts in 150 innings.

Soriano and Gonzalez likely will receive multi-year contract offers from other teams, and neither is expected to accept the Braves' arbitration offers before a Dec. 7 deadline for free agents to accept or decline those offers.

"As we went into our offseason planning, one of the areas we knew we had to improve to get where we want to go next year, was to improve our bullpen," Wren said. "And with the losses to free agency [Soriano, Gonzalez] that we had after the season, Billy was at the top of our list.

"So we were very aggressive from the beginning. The first day he became a free agent, we made a call to his agent … and last week Bobby and Roger and myself flew up to Charlottesville and met with Billy, to express how much interest we had and how we thought he thought he would be a perfect fit for our ballclub."

Wagner returned from elbow surgery in under 12 months and posted a 1.72 ERA with 26 strikeouts in 15-2/3 innings over 17 appearances -- two with the New York Mets and 15 with the Red Sox after being traded Aug. 25.

As a condition of that trade, Boston agreed not to pick up his $8 million option for 2010. But because the Red Sox offered arbitration Tuesday, the Braves will give their 2010 first-round draft choice to Boston for signing the Type A free agent.

Wagner has a 2.39 career ERA, 1,092 strikeouts in 833-2/3 innings and more saves than any active pitcher except Trevor Hoffman and Mariano Rivera.

His new contract includes a $6.75 million salary in 2010 and a $6.5 million option for 2011 with a $250,000 buyout. The option becomes guaranteed if he finishes 50 games next season.  (He finished at least 57 games six times in a seven-season span before an injury-plagued 2008, when he finished 34 of the 45 games he pitched in.)

He rang up 30 or more saves eight times in a 10-season span with Houston, Philadelphia and New York before recording 27 saves in 2008. Fifteen more saves will make him the fifth pitcher with 400, joining Hoffman (591), Rivera (526), Lee Smith (478) and John Franco (424).

He needs 40 saves to overtake Franco as the all-time lefty leader, and Wagner said that playing on a winning team is the best way to keep building his stats in hopes of someday being elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Wagner took less money to join the Braves than he might've gotten if he waited to field all offers from other teams. Big pluses in the Braves' favor were Cox and the Braves' competitiveness and proximity to the farm where Wagner lives with his wife and four children.

Wagner faced the Braves in his first game back from the disabled list on Aug. 20, striking out two in a perfect eighth inning and drawing praise from Cox, who said Wagner looked as good as ever.

Though only 5 feet 10, Wagner has forged a career blowing away hitters with a fastball in the 94-96 mph range, reaching 98-100 mph earlier in his career.

He had 80 or more strikeouts eight times from 1997 to 2007, including 124 in 74-2/3 innings in 1999. In 2003 with Houston, he had 44 saves with a 1.78 ERA.

Soriano and Gonzalez are Type A free agents, and considered along with Wagner the best relievers on the market. By offering arbitration to those two, the Braves are assured of getting a first-round draft pick as compensation if either is signed by another team, along with a supplemental-round pick.

Though they will lose a first-round pick for signing Wagner, the Braves expect to get two first-round picks for losing Soriano and Gonzalez.

If Soriano and/or Gonzalez accepts arbitration, Soriano could make about $8 million and Gonzalez at least $5 million. The Braves would have a potent (albeit expensive) bullpen. The Braves are banking on Soriano or Gonzalez not accepting.

Wren said the Braves are pursuing another setup man. He didn't name candidates, but they are known to include free agents Octavio Dotel and Fernando Rodney.