Braves bolster shaky bullpen, sign free agent lefty Smith
ATLANTA » The Atlanta Braves made another move to bolster their shaky bullpen Thursday, signing left-hander reliever Will Smith to a three-year, $40 million contract.
The free-agent deal includes a $13 million option for the 2023 season, with a $1 million buyout.
The 30-year-old Smith went 6-0 with a 2.76 ERA and a career-best 34 saves for the San Francisco Giants this past season. He made the All-Star team for the first time.
The NL East champion Braves were looking to upgrade the bullpen after going through several closers last season, including Luke Jackson, Shane Greene and Mark Melancon.
Smith is Atlanta’s fourth free-agent signing of the offseason but the first to change teams. The Braves re-signed outfielder Nick Markakis, catcher Tyler Flowers and reliever Darren O’Day.
Smith received a $17.8 million qualifying offer from the Giants, who acquired him from Milwaukee at the trade deadline in 2016. Shortly before a Thursday deadline to accept the offer, he reached a more lucrative deal with the Braves.
Atlanta will forfeit its third-highest pick in the 2020 amateur draft since Smith received a qualifying offer. San Francisco will receive an extra choice as compensation, likely around the 75th overall pick.
The signing of Smith is the latest move by the Braves to improve one of their most vulnerable areas in 2018. Eleven relievers had saves, led by Jackson with 18.
Greene, who had 18 saves and a 1.18 ERA for the Tigers, quickly flopped as Braves’ closer. Melancon finished out the year as the closer, picking up 11 saves, but was roughed up badly in several appearances.
Odorizzi, Abreu accept $17.8M offers to stay with teams
SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ. » Pitcher Jake Odorizzi accepted a $17.8 million qualifying offer to stay with the Minnesota Twins and first baseman José Abreu took the same amount to remain with the Chicago White Sox as general managers headed home Thursday following their four-day annual meeting.
Just 10 free agents received the offers on Nov. 4, and their former teams will receive draft-pick compensation if they sign elsewhere before the amateur draft in June. Players who did not accept included pitchers Gerrit Cole (Houston), Stephen Strasburg (Washington), Zack Wheeler (New York Mets) and Madison Bumgarner (San Francisco) along with third basemen Anthony Rendon (Washington) and Josh Donaldson (Atlanta) and outfielder Marcell Ozuna (St. Louis).
Odorizzi, a right-hander who turns 30 in March, was a career-best 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA for the AL Central champions, striking out 178 in 159 innings.
Abreu hit .284 with 33 homers and his 123 RBIs were second to Rendon’s major leaguebest 126. He turns 33 in January.