Agent: Braves sign veteran reliever Proctor

[Joe Schmoe]

...

(and Hudson)

http://www.ajc.com/sports/atlanta-braves/agent-braves-sign-veteran-186073.html

By DAVID O'BRIEN

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves signed veteran reliever Scott Proctor to a one-year contract on
Wednesday, according to his agent. The team hopes he can overcome two recent
elbow surgeries and regain something akin to his form

The right-hander missed the entire 2009 season with the Florida Marlins
while recovering from ligament-transplant elbow surgery in May, after
flexor-tendon surgery on the elbow in October 2008.

The Braves have not confirmed the signing, as teams are urged by Major
League Baseball not to make such announcements during the World Series.

Soon after the World Series, the Braves are also expected to announce
pitcher Tim Hudson has signed a three-year contract. He passed his physical
this week after a brief delay finding a doctor who was approved by the
insurance company.

Proctor, who'll be 32 in January, was released by the Marlins last month and
signed a split contract with the Braves, meaning he'll receive less for any
portion of the season that he's pitching in the minors.

Agent Mark Rodgers told the TCPalm newspaper of Florida, near Proctor's
hometown in Martin County, that the Braves had pursued Proctor
"aggressively" since he was released by the Marlins.

Pitchers usually require 12-13 months of recovery from the "Tommy John"
surgery that he had, which other Braves pitchers including Tim Hudson and
Mike Gonzalez have had in recent years.

Among non-closers, Proctor was once regarded as one of baseball's top
relievers as a hard-throwing workhorse the New York Yankees. He paid a price
after piling up nearly 190 relief innings in back-to-back 83-appearance
seasons with the Yankees and Dodgers in 2007-2008.

He had a 6.05 ERA in 41 appearances for the Dodgers in 2008, and had two
elbow surgeries without pitching in a major league game since then. The
Marlins hoped he would be recovered from flexor-tendon surgery to pitch last
season, but he had repeated setbacks before the decision to have
ligament-transplant surgery.

His best season was 2006, when Proctor was 6-4 with a 3.52 ERA and 89
strikeouts in 102-1/3 innings. He held hitters to a .232 average and .292
on-base percentage that season, including .204/.269 by lefties.

He has a 16-10 career record and 4.42 ERA in 262 games, all but one in
relief. Proctor has converted only one of his 15 career save opportunities.