Braves Sign Ervin Santana

Ervin Santana

In an act of shear desperation, the Atlanta Braves agreed to a one-year $14.1 million deal with free agent righty Ervin Santana earlier this month. The contract is exactly the same as the qualifying offer that Santana previously rejected from the Royals in November. By declining the offer and signing with the Braves, Santana forces his new team to forfeit its first round pick in the upcoming amateur draft scheduled to be held in early June.

Santana, 31, is coming off an impressive year with the Royals, who finished 10 games over .500 and barely missed the playoffs in 2013. Despite the losing record, Santana threw a respectable 3.24 ERA in 211.0 innings of work. However, given the draft pick compensation attached to his signing, many teams were reluctant to sign the nine year veteran. Had it not been for several injuries in the starting rotation, the Braves probably never would have signed Santana.

As if losing fan favorite Tim Hudson to free agency wasn't enough, the Braves took another significant hit to their rotation when they announced that projected opening day starter Kris Medlen would require season-ending Tommy John Surgery after taring a ligament earlier this offseason. The news came days after fellow Braves righty Brandon Beachy began experiencing pain in his biceps recently repaired elbow. 

In order to compete with the Nationals' highly-impressive rotation in Washington, the Braves gave in and signed Santana to the deal.

Given the injuries, Santana is expected slide into the number two slot in the Braves rotation behind previously extended righty Julio Teheran.