Braves News World

The Braves are rumored to be nearing an agreement to extend Tim Hudson’s contract through the 2008 season, with two or more subsequent option years vesting automatically if the pitcher reaches a pre-determined amount of innings. The deal is said to be worth over $11 million a year. The right-hander had set a Tuesday deadline for reaching an agreement on an extension and the Braves are content to build the suspense. Though Hudson’s agent recently confirmed that Hudson’s March 1st signing deadline was not subject to change, the three parties (Schuerholz, Hudson, and Hudson’s agent) each sounded upbeat when questioned Friday about the possibility of completing the deal. Check back early next week for the finalized terms of the deal. Looks like another steal for Schuerholz and the Braves!

On Friday the Braves signed Johnny Estrada, Wilson Betemit, Nick Green, Ryan Langerhans, Horacio Ramirez, Adam LaRoche and Roman Colon to one-year contracts for the 2005 season. Financial terms were not disclosed. All 37 players currently on the Braves’ 40-man roster are now signed for this season.

Braves broadcaster Don Sutton is scheduled to sign autographs from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm this Sunday 2/27/05 at Machinist Hall (12365 St. Charles Rock Rd.) in Bridgeton, MO. Autograph ticket prices at the show range from $35 - $50. You can contact the promoter, St. Louis Sports Collectors, Inc., at (618) 281-6014. Admission tickets are $4 per person per day and free for children ages 5 and under.

Sutton is also slated to sign autographs at 12:00 pm on Saturday 3/5/05 at the Phoenix Civic Plaza (111 North 3rd St.), Hall C, in Phoenix, AZ. Advance autograph ticket prices range from $39 - $79 (and are subject to price increases at the show) and photo opportunities are $39 each. You can contact the promoter, Tri-Star Productions, at (713) 666-9595. Admission tickets at the door will be between $8 and $10 per day for those age 6 and over and free for ages 5 and under.

The third Braves player to participate in the team’s monthly online chat will be closer Dan Kolb. Fans interested in asking questions of Kolb should log in to the official Braves web site tomorrow, Wednesday, February 23rd, before the chat starts at 1 p.m. ET.

Addendum: Here is the chat transcript.

The official monthly magazine of the Atlanta Braves for the past 11 years, ChopTalk, will return in April after a three-month hiatus. After being unable to reach an agreement with their prior publisher in December the Braves were forced to discontinue the fan magazine. Current subscribers were refunded for all unfulfilled issues. At the time, the Chop Talk website cited “changing conditions in the publishing industry, including rising costs,” as reasons for the action.

Wonderdog Publishing, Inc., led by the former editor of the magazine, Gary Caruso, will take the reins in late March (though the issue will be dated April 2005). A new, more expansive format featuring columns by Bobby Cox, John Schuerholz, and various Braves players will go a long way toward bringing both old and new subscribers into the fold.

Fans wishing to subscribe can send a check or money order for $34.95 (for one year / 12 issues) payable to “ChopTalk” to: Chop Talk, P.O. Box 922847, Atlanta, GA 30010-2287. Subscriptions can also be had by calling 800-268-6942. Long live the Chop!

The Braves signed prospects Andy Marte, Pete Orr, Kyle Davies, Tony Pena Jr., Billy McCarthy, Luis Hernandez, Anthony Lerew, Scott Thorman, Macay McBride, Onil Joseph and Kelly Johnson to one-year major league contracts on Thursday. The Braves have yet to reach contract agreements with Johnny Estrada, Wilson Betemit, Nick Green, Ryan Langerhans, Horacio Ramirez, Adam LaRoche and Roman Colon. Expect deals to be reached with all of them during the first week of spring training at the latest. Estrada is the only one of those players expected to receive any marked increase in salary. He made $312,500 during his 2004 All-Star season.

The Braves organization is once again eagerly working to win city approval to build a new $330-million stadium for the Richmond Braves in the Shockoe Bottom of downtown Richmond, Virginia. The team and development partner Global Development Partners LLC hope to secure approval within four to six months, begin construction in 2006 and open the park in 2008. Concerns remain over drainage problems in Shockoe Bottom that came to bear after flooding caused by Tropical Storm Gaston last August. However, the team and developer believe a drainage system solution can be formulated before construction begins.

After just two days of instruction, the Braves mysteriously abandoned their plan to transition super prospect Andy Marte to the outfield this winter. With Marte expected to be ready to make big contributions to the Braves in 2006, where does that leave Chipper Jones? He has stated publicly his desire to stay at third base. But it’s apparent that it’s more an issue of disliking the outfield than liking third base (perhaps the Braves could shift him to first base as was rumored last year before the switch back to third base; that would open up a whole other can of worms).

Chipper Jones will likely be under contract through 2008 as options in 2007 and 2008 automatically vest if he makes 450 plate appearances the prior season. Other options include moving Marte to first base or shortstop, trading Chipper (though he has a no-trade clause), or trading Marte (yikes!).

As talks about a contract extension heat up between the Braves and Tim Hudson’s agent, Chipper Jones has volunteered to defer, and perhaps reduce, the amounts on some of those checks he’ll receive in the years to come. Chipper is set to make $15 million this season and $17 million the year after. Options (that are automatically vested if he makes 450 plates appearances the prior season; a virtual certainty barring injury) would pay him $15 million in both 2007 and 2008. Plus, if they both vest Jones will receive an additional $5 million bonus. There’s little doubt that this is the big contract that is hamstringing the Braves as they look to secure the foundation of a contending ballclub for years to come.

Hudson’s agent has given the Braves the same March 1st deadline to agree to a contract extension that he gave the A’s before they traded the right-hander. Braves GM John Schuerholz has acknowledged the deadline and intimated that the Braves will have decided whether they have what it takes to sign the star pitcher by that date. Meanwhile, at Camp Leo, Leo Mazzone and Bobby Cox couldn’t say enough good things about Hudson. Mazzone even compared the pitching discussions he had with Hudson to those he has had with Greg Maddux, Tom Glavine, and John Smoltz.