LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- As many of his peers were exiting Walt Disney World's Swan and Dolphin Resort on Thursday afternoon, Braves general manager John Schuerholz remained in his suite.

There were plenty of reasons to contemplate other moves his team could still make. But at the same time, there was a definite reason for him to enjoy the completion of the one trade that he did make at this year's Winter Meetings.

As the meetings neared their end on Thursday morning, Schuerholz took pride in the fact that he was able to obtain right-handed reliever Rafael Soriano from the Mariners in exchange for left-handed starter Horacio Ramirez.

"We made this deal and came near making another big deal," Schuerholz said. "That's a result of a lot of work, a lot of effort and a lot of man-hours."

As soon as the Braves experienced their first losing season since 1990, Schuerholz, Braves manager Bobby Cox and the organization's scouting staff began looking for ways to improve a bullpen was a glaring weakness over the previous six months.

With the hard-throwing Soriano, they may have obtained the best possible upgrade. The right-hander, who will turn 27 on Dec. 19, will serve as closer Bob Wickman's primary setup man this year and has the potential to be the team's closer of the future. Opponents have hit just .213 against him in his five-year American League career.

"The one piece, if nothing else, we wanted was a legitimate bullpen guy, and we got it," Cox said. "We already signed Wickman. So now we have two [legitimate relievers]. We're way ahead of the game."

Instead of worrying about a relief corps that blew 29 save opportunities this past season, Cox now has reason to be confident about his bullpen. Tanyon Sturtze, who was signed on Sunday, is expected to be ready to further strengthen the bullpen when he returns from shoulder surgery in May.

During these meetings, the Braves worked very hard to get either Soriano or left-handed Pirates closer Mike Gonzalez. Both have very similar statistics, leading some to say the only real difference between them is the hand with which they throw.

Previous thoughts that the Braves were nearing a deal that would have brought Gonzalez to Atlanta in exchange for Adam LaRoche weren't entirely correct. Atlanta would have only made the deal if Pittsburgh would have been willing to further those trade talks with at least one more player.

By netting Soriano, the Braves were able to keep LaRoche, who proved his ability to be a 30-homer threat this season, and instead use their starting pitching depth to fill their greatest need.

All indications are that LaRoche will be back with Atlanta this season. The Orioles and Angels had both expressed interest in him, but early Thursday afternoon, one top Braves official indicated there hadn't been talks with either team since Tuesday.

With the approximately $1.2 million they saved with the Soriano-for-Ramirez trade, the Braves have seemingly made most of the moves they need to provide flexibility within their $80 million payroll.

To stay within that budget, the club needs to make a decision regarding Marcus Giles, who will make close to $6 million next year. The Braves' attempts to trade him have been unsuccessful and there's a belief they may not tender him a contract.

All Major League teams have until Tuesday to decide whether to tender their arbitration-eligible players contracts for 2007. Even without the inclusion of Giles' projected salary, the Braves are believed to be within $1 million of filling their $80 million payroll.

Along with Giles, Chris Reitsma is a prime candidate to be non-tendered by the Braves.

"[Tuesday] is a day on which we have to manage our decisions beyond, and we're working on that," Schuerholz said. "We're talking about it [and] what our strategies will be. We haven't yet finalized our strategies on that."

Schuerholz may continue to look at ways to strengthen his bullpen, but with Daryle Ward's decision to sign with the Cubs, Schuerholz may look even harder at potentially upgrading his bench with a left-handed bat. There's also a possible need to gain another left-handed reliever.

As for Andruw Jones, one Braves top official said that his name wasn't even mentioned in definitive trade talks this week. The club is well aware he could exit Atlanta via free agency at the end of next season.

But at the same time, they also realize that he's a vital key in their attempt to begin a new streak of consecutive division titles. Of course, had Soriano been around last year, there might not be any current talk of what has now become their previous streak.

"One of our objectives coming here, initially, was to strengthen the bullpen, and we were able to do that," Cox said. "So we're happy."

Deals done: Obtained RHP Soriano from the Mariners for LHP Ramirez, and signed RHP Sturtze to a one-year contract.

Rule 5 activity: The Braves lost right-handed pitcher Sean White, who was drafted by the Pirates and traded to the Mariners for cash considerations.

Goals accomplished: The Braves were able to strengthen their bullpen without the need to spend the money it's costing to obtain middle relievers on the free-agent market.

Unfinished business: The Braves may continue to look at ways to strengthen their bullpen and bench. Schuerholz was disappointed with Ward's decision to sign with the Cubs. They also must decide who will serve as their second baseman and leadoff hitter. Club officials have said they are impressed with the advancement Kelly Johnson has shown while learning to play second base.

GM's bottom line: "We feel good about this one -- really good." -- Schuerholz, on the Soriano trade