Braves Sign Reliever Gabe White

Braves sign lefty reliever White
By DAVID O'BRIEN, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Braves signed left-handed reliever Gabe White in hopes he'll do what lefty Armando Almanza failed to do last season: have a career resurgence. White, 33, had a career-worst 6.94 ERA in 64 appearances last season for the New York Yankees and Cincinnati Reds. The Braves gave him a deal worth $600,000, roughly one-third of his 2004 salary. White made $1.925 million in 2004 and had a mutual option for the same amount in 2005, which the Reds declined for a $200,000 buyout.

White posted a 4.05 ERA for the Yankees in 2003 and a 2.99 ERA for Cincinnati in 2002. His best work came in 2000 with Colorado, when he was 11-2 with a 2.36 ERA and five saves in 68 games. His ERA shot up four runs the next year for the Rockies.
He had an 8.27 ERA last season with New York when traded June 18.

"He's had good years in the past," general manager John Schuerholz said, "and we think becoming part of our Braves pitching environment, he's got a chance to help us." White joins another veteran lefty, Tom Martin, in the bullpen. Martin is owed $1.9 million in 2005, with the Los Angeles Dodgers covering half of that. Atlanta traded for Martin in July, after Almanza put up a 6.17 ERA in 13 appearances and was sent to the minors. Almanza signed a $500,000 contract last winter, coming off two elbow surgeries and a career-worst 6.08 ERA for Florida.