HEADING SOUTH
Dickey signs with Atlanta
R.A. Dickey was won over by an Atlanta Braves sales team that included two Hall of Famers, including a fellow knuckleballer.
Dickey said he knew the Braves would be a good fit after meeting in Nashville with a group that included manager Brian Snitker, general manager John Coppolella and two Hall of Famers — former manager Bobby Cox and knuckleballer Phil Niekro.
“I had a great feeling then there was great hope I would be able to join the organization,” Dickey said Thursday after agreeing to a oneyear contract with an $8-million guarantee.
He considers Niekro to be part of the “Jedi council of knuckleballers” who influenced his career.
“Phil and I have a good relationship,” Dickey said. “I consider him a friend. We filmed a documentary together.”
He gets a $7.5 million salary next year and the Braves have an $8-million option for 2018 with a $500,000 buyout. The deal for the 42-year-old right-hander, the first of the 157 free agents to switch teams this off-season, is subject to a successful physical.
Dickey said having four children ages 14 and younger kept retirement an option if he did not find interest from the right team.
Dickey had a career-high 20 wins and won the NL Cy Young in 2012, his final season with the New York Mets. The right-hander spent the last four years with the Toronto Blue Jays, going 10-15 with a 4.46 ERA this year.
Dickey said the velocities on his knuckleball “were as high as they’ve ever been.”
No one had double-figure wins for Atlanta this year, prompting Coppolella to say he will pursue at least two established starters on the free-agent market. Julio Tehran heads a rotation projected to include Josh Collmenter.
Dickey is 110-108 with a 4.01 ERA in his career. He logged at least 200 innings five straight seasons from 2011 to 2015. Since 2010, his 1,441 innings rank ninth in the majors.
He said it was a challenge to pitch in the AL East’s small parks and said the rebuilding Braves’ potential in their new SunTrust Park in suburban Atlanta was a selling point.
Meanwhile, Cleveland Indians right-hander Cody Anderson had elbow surgery and will need two months to recover.
Anderson, who went 2-5 with a 6.68 ERA in nine starts this season, was bothered by pain in his elbow late in the year. The team said he was diagnosed with impingement in the back of the elbow joint.
The 26-year-old underwent an arthroscopic procedure in Dallas Wednesday. The team said Anderson will begin a throwing program in two months and is expected to be ready for the start of the 2017 regular season.
Coming off an impressive rookie season, Anderson won a spot in Cleveland’s starting rotation in spring training, but struggled in April and May. He spent most the season bouncing back and forth between the Indians and TripleA Columbus. Anderson had seven stints with Cleveland.
Anderson was used exclusively as a reliever in the second half by manager Terry Francona.