It's official: Glaus is new Braves 1B

By David O'Brien

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Troy Glaus says he wanted to play for the Braves and Bobby Cox more than he cared about staying at third base.

So the former American League home-run leader and erstwhile All-Star third baseman signed a one-year, $1.75 million contract Tuesday to play first base for the Braves.

"We've been looking for that right-handed presence in the middle of our lineup for a while, and Troy gives us that," general manager Frank Wren said of the 6-foot-5, 250-pound slugger, who sat between Wren and manager Bobby Cox at a Tuesday news conference at Turner Field.

And just a few hours later, the Braves  added Glaus' backup when they  agreed to terms with Eric Hinske on a one-year contract to serve as a pinch-hitter and versatile bench player.

Hinske, 32, must pass a physical before the deal is finalized later this week. Financial terms weren't immediately known, but his addition could be the last significant move by the Braves before spring training.

Wren said they were close to their projected payroll limit, which is expected to be a little over $90 million.

Hinske batted .242 with eight homers in just 224 at-bats last season for Pittsburgh and the New York Yankees, after the left-handed hitter totaled 20 homers and 60 RBIs in almost twice as many at-bats (432) in 2008 with Tampa Bay.

The Braves can use Hinske to back up all the infield and outfield corners, but his primary duty will likely be as a fill-in for Glaus whenever he needs rest, in hopes of keeping the big man healthy.

Hinske's a complementary piece, while the Braves view Glaus as the big bat they've been looking for.

"He gives us a guy in the middle of the lineup who can very easily hit in that 25- to 30-home run range and drive in 100 runs," Wren said of Glaus, "and gives us that offensive presence we've been missing."

That's provided he stays healthy. Glaus has 304 home runs in 12 seasons, including five seasons with at least 30 homers. But he missed most of last season with St. Louis while recovering from January 2009 shoulder surgery.

"I have no concerns about being able to go out there and play," said Glaus, who passed two physical exams -- one with Braves doctors, the other with renowned Los Angeles orthopedist Lewis Yocum on Dec. 8. "This winter, I've been able to get myself into the quality of shape that I wasn't able to the winter before."

He has been conditioning and power-lifting near his New Jersey home since Nov. 1. Glaus agreed to contract terms Dec. 23, but had to pass a team physical before the deal could be finalized. Scheduling before the holidays was too difficult, so the announcement was delayed until Tuesday.

"He's a player I've known since 2000, when we took a trip to Japan and Troy was on that All-Star team," Cox said. "His numbers speak of themselves. He's only 33 years old; that's not old in baseball right now, by any means.

"First base is not that easy to play ... but in Troy's case, I think by the end of spring training he'll be a slick-fielding first baseman. And he's a run producer -- you've got to remember that."

His agent said about 10 teams expressed in Glaus, who chose Cox and the Braves with a position change rather than taking a first-base job with a team that wasn't as desirable to him.

"It was a huge part [of the decision]," Glaus said. "Getting a chance to play for Bobby is something that I've wanted to do for my entire career, ever since 2000 when I got a chance to play for him in Japan. But just looking at the team itself, and looking at the pieces that are here – the pitching staff that's here, the bullpen that they've put together – from my perspective this organization gave me the best chance to play in the playoffs again and play on a winning team and hopefully get this team to the level that the Braves have been accustomed to....

"I wanted to focus more on playing in a city and for an organization in a situation that gave me the best chance to get back to the playoffs and be on a winning team and be in a winning atmosphere. And that's why, ultimately, the position didn't matter as much as that did to me."

Glaus can make up to $2.25 million in incentives in 2010 that are tied to staying off the disabled list and in the lineup, including a $250,000 bonus if he's on the roster 100 days. The rest of the incentives are triggered by plate appearances -- $350,000 each for 400, 450 and 500 PAs, $400,000 for 550, and $550,000 for 600.

Glaus, who'll wear Andruw Jones' old number (25),  made it clear he wouldn't be angling for Chipper Jones' third-base position. After Tuesday's news conference, he was jokingly asked if he and Chipper might have to fight to determine who moves.

"No," Glaus said, laughing. "I think Chipper has earned everything he has, there's no doubt about it."

He'll likely bat fourth between Jones andAll-Star catcher Brian McCann, the right-handed behemoth hitting between a switch-hitter and a lefty.

"If [Cox] wants to bat me fourth or fifth or sixth -- whatever he decides, then that's where I'll be," Glaus said. "But if given that opportunity [to bat fourth], I'll take full advantage of it and relish the chance to hit between those two guys. It would be wonderful."

Glaus hit 29 or more homers six times in eight seasons from 1999 through 2006, before foot problems in 2007 limited him to 115 games in his last season with Toronto. He was traded for third baseman Scott Rolen, and hit .270 with 27 homers and 99 RBIs in 2008.

A former UCLA shortstop, Glaus has played 18 games at shortstop but just six at first base in the majors.

"I think the transition is going to be fairly uneventful," he said. "Catching a ground ball is pretty much the same no matter what position you're playing. The difficult part is going to be learning all the responsibilities of the position."

He had January 2009 arthroscopic shoulder surgery to repair fraying of the lower labrum, then a setback when he pushed his return trying to make it back for opening day. When Glaus finally returned in September, Mark DeRosa had was entrenched at third base -- but manager Tony La Russa still thought enough of Glaus to put him on the 25-man postseason roster.

Glaus is one of the largest players ever to don a Braves uniform, and he and Jones will form one of the more accomplished corner-infield and 3-4 hitting duos in the majors. Again, that's if they can stay healthy.

The two of them have a combined total of 730 homers and 2,324 RBIs in 27 seasons, including four 40-homer seasons, 11 30-homer seasons and 13 100-RBI seasons.

But both have been plagued by injuries, including foot woes. Glaus missed parts of the 2003 and ‘04 seasons after right-shoulder surgeries, and had foot surgery after winning the 2002 World Series MVP award for Anaheim.

As for the injury-plagued Jones, the 2008 National League batting champion was so disappointed in his ‘09 performance (.264, 18 homers, 71 RBIs) that he's said he might retire if he doesn't do better in 2010.

Glaus will replace Adam Laroche, who hit .325 with 12 homers and 40 RBIs in 57 games for the Braves after coming from Boston at the July 31 trade deadline. The Braves didn't try to sign LaRoche as a free agent because of the amount and length of contract he sought.

The Braves believe first-base prospect Freddie Freeman could be ready as soon as 2011, and didn't want to sign a player to a long-term contract that would potentially block Freeman.

Remarkably, Glaus would become the 11th different opening-day first baseman in 12 seasons for the Braves, with LaRoche the only first basemen to start consecutive opening days (2005-2006) for the team during that stretch.

Glaus had a career-high 47 homers for Anaheim in 2000, when he led the AL in long balls while hitting .284 with 102 RBIs, the first of three consecutive 100-RBI seasons. He hit 41 homers in 2001.

He has a .255 career average and .856 on-base-plus-slugging percentage, including a .359 OBP. However, Glaus hit just .172 with no homers and two RBIs in 29 at-bats in 2009.

He's played 1,336 of his 1,360 major-league games at third base, where he made only seven errors for the Cardinals in 2008 and had the best fielding percentage in the majors for the position. He's played 18 games at shortstop, six at first base, and 55 as designated hitter.

The Braves like his power and experience, including postseason work. The four-time former All-Star has nine home runs and 16 RBIs in 21 posteason games, and was voted MVP of the 2002 World Series after hitting .385 with three homers and eight RBIs for Anaheim against San Francisco.