NewsBraves confirm signing of Proctor
Deal with Hudson won't be complete until after MRI exam
By Mark Bowman / MLB.com
11/06/09 6:49 PM EST
ATLANTA -- While the Braves were able to confirm Friday that they have signed right-handed reliever Scott Proctor to a Minor League contract, they will have to wait until Tim Hudson returns to Atlanta before finalizing the three-year contract extension they have offered.When Hudson returns from attending Adam LaRoche's charity event in Kansas this weekend, he will undergo the MRI exam that was mistakenly not scheduled when he passed all of the other phases of his physical this week.
If the MRI proves to be clean, the Braves could announce the Hudson signing as early as Monday.
While the Braves will have to wait on Hudson, they were able to create some Hot Stove news earlier this week when they signed Proctor to a Minor League contract and extended him an invitation to Spring Training. The club confirmed this signing via a news release that was sent Friday afternoon.
Proctor will be attempting to return from Tommy John ligament replacement surgery in the same successful manner as Hudson, who went 3-1 with a 3.61 ERA in the seven starts that he made after he rejoined the Atlanta rotation in September.
Proctor signed as a free agent with the Marlins in January and never pitched for them. The 32-year-old right-hander underwent the surgical procedure on May 12.
Based on the normal one-year rehab process prescribed to pitchers coming back from the surgery, Proctor could miss April and then be able to join the Atlanta bullpen at some point in May.
Proctor's arm problems began after he made 83 appearances during the 2006 and 2007 seasons. The Yankees traded him to the Dodgers midway through the 2007 season.
Coincidentally, Proctor began experiencing his elbow problems after being reunited at the beginning of the 2008 season with Dodgers manager Joe Torre, who had sent the right-hander to the mound during 135 of the 265 games the Yankees played from the start of the 2006 season through July 27, 2007.
After posting a 3.58 ERA and allowing opponents to his .237 in his 166 combined appearances in 2006 and '07, Proctor posted a 6.05 ERA and allowed a .261 batting average in the 41 appearances that he made for the Dodgers before his elbow began proving to be a problem in 2008.
With the possibility that they could lose both Mike Gonzalez and Rafael Soriano via free agency, the Braves are expected to spend the offseason attempting to find a closer and adding depth to their bullpen.
Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
