Braves Favored to Land Tim Hudson

Braves reportedly favored to land Hudson (AJC)

The Winter Meetings may have spawned a monster of a starting rotation for the Braves, who were still working late Monday on a possible trade for Oakland Athletics ace Tim Hudson. Braves general manager John Schuerholz and A's GM Billy Beane had a private conversation outside the Anaheim Marriott Monday afternoon, shortly before Schuerholz caught a flight back to Atlanta. Officials with two other teams involved in trade talks for Hudson said the Braves had moved ahead as favorites to land Hudson, whose .702 winning percentage (92-39) is the third-highest in history for a pitcher with at least 100 decisions. If the Braves pull off a deal for the right-hander, he would join John Smoltz to give the Braves potentially their most potent starting duo since Tom Glavine and Greg Maddux combined for 40 wins in 2000.

The Braves were said to be out of the Hudson sweepstakes after refusing to include second baseman Marcus Giles in a trade. But a source close to negotiations said Beane informed the Braves that a deal was possible without Giles, and the two clubs intensified their talks Sunday and Monday. The A's were asking for a package of at least three prospects or young players, including left-hander Dan Meyer, who went 9-3 with a 2.49 ERA in 26 games (24 starts) while splitting last season between Class AA Greenville and Class AAA Richmond.

Smoltz, a former Cy Young Award starter who saved 144 games in the past three seasons, is moving back to the rotation after the Braves traded for Milwaukee Brewers All-Star closer Dan Kolb on Saturday. "We head home with a good deal under our belts," Schuerholz said, "and some other possibilities that might be concluded before I land [in Atlanta around midnight].... A lot of wheels are in motion on one [particular] deal."

The Braves gave up top pitching prospect Jose Capellan in the Kolb trade, leaving Meyer and right-hander Kyle Davies as their top arms in the minor leagues. It's doubtful the Braves would part with both, at least not unless they were certain they could sign Hudson, a Columbus native who pitched at Auburn, to a contract extension. Hudson will make $6.75 million next season before he becomes eligible for free agency.

Atlanta had two starters with 18 or more wins apiece in 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2002, but their only starter with more than 16 wins in the past two seasons was Russ Ortiz (21) in 2003. Last year's team leaders were 15-game winners Ortiz and Jaret Wright, who both left as free agents. The Braves were determined to go into next season with the kind of dominant No. 1 starter they've lacked for two seasons. They might just end up with two.

With Hudson and Smoltz, the Braves could field one of the NL's top starting rotations, including John Thomson and lefties Mike Hampton and Horacio Ramirez. "A lot does go on here [at the Winter Meetings]," Beane said. "It's just that it might not be evident for another week or couple of weeks."

Officials with other teams involved in Hudson discussions — the St. Louis Cardinals, Los Angeles Dodgers and Baltimore Orioles — left Anaheim believing a deal would be finalized for the two-time All-Star this week. Hudson, 29, has a 3.30 career ERA, and produced four consecutive seasons with at least 15 wins, 200 innings and 152 strikeouts before going 12-6 with a 3.53 ERA and 103 strikeouts in 188-2/3 innings in 2004, when he missed some starts with a balky hip.

Very interesting. This isn't exactly Maddux-Glavine-Smoltz-Avery but it would be a good rotation, assuming Smoltz' arm holds up. I hate to see the Braves continue to trade away all their young pitching prospects but they do seem to have the touch for drafting guys that other teams are willing to trade for.