Braves release Tom Glavine

ATLANTA (AP) - In a stunning move, the Atlanta Braves released
305-game winner Tom Glavine on Wednesday, just when it seemed he
was ready to return to the big leagues.
The 43-year-old Glavine, who was coming back from shoulder and
elbow surgery, threw six scoreless innings for Class-A Rome on
Tuesday night and proclaimed himself ready to pitch in the majors
again.
Instead, the Braves cut him, another move that figures to draw
the ire of Atlanta fans after the team failed to re-sign John
Smoltz during the offseason.
Glavine described himself as "very surprised" in a text
message to The Associated Press.
General manager Frank Wren said the decision had nothing to do
with a $1 million bonus that Glavine would have received for being
placed on the major league roster. Instead, the team felt it had a
better chance to win with a younger pitcher in the rotation.
"This was not a business decision," Wren said. "This was a
performance decision."
Top prospect Tommy Hanson will be called up Saturday to start
against Milwaukee. Glavine, meanwhile, hasn't decided whether he
wants to try to hook on with another team.
"Not sure about pitching," he said in his text.
Glavine was still trying to deal with what appeared to be
another bitter split from the Braves.
"We gave him the option, 'If you want to retire, you can retire
as a Brave,"' Wren said. "He asked us to release him."
The Braves made another major move Wednesday, acquiring All-Star
center fielder Nate McLouth from Pittsburgh for three prospects:
outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and pitchers Charlie Morton and Jeff
Locke.
Wren said Glavine's impressive performance in the minors had no
impact on the team's assessment of his ability to pitch in the big
leagues.
"We've been evaluating him the last four weeks and everyone
felt we had a better chance to win at the major league level with
one of our younger pitchers," Wren said. "The pitching line is
irrelevant when you're pitching in low A-ball. The line is not
relevant as to whether you can get major league hitters out."
The Braves closed the clubhouse before the game. When team
spokesman Brad Hainje finally poked his head out less than hour
before the first pitch, he said Glavine had already left Turner
Field after meeting with Wren, manager Bobby Cox and team president
John Schuerholz.
Hainje said Cox and the players would not comment until after
the game, though third baseman Chipper Jones said just before
batting practice that he was looking forward to Glavine's return.
"This is the perfect platform for him to finish it out," Jones
said. "If he comes in and helps us win some ballgames, pitches
solid baseball down the stretch, I think he would be much more
inclined to call it a career on a positive note."
Glavine was the winningest active pitcher in the majors with a
record of 305-203. While he and his agent, Gregg Clifton, did not
immediately return phone messages, the fact that Glavine asked to
be released clearly indicates that he still wants to pitch after
missing most of last season with the first major injury of his
career.
"I think he was taken aback a little bit," Wren conceded.
Glavine pitched his first 16 seasons for the Braves, then signed
with the New York Mets before the 2003 season after negotiations
with Atlanta turned bitter.
The left-hander pitched five seasons for the Mets, then
reconciled with the Braves. Glavine returned to Atlanta with a
one-year deal in 2008, intent on closing his career with his
original team.
He pitched only 13 games before his season ended with an elbow
injury that required surgery. He also had some minor work done on
his shoulder, and negotiations on a return to the Braves dragged on
beyond the start of spring training.
Glavine finally signed a $3.5 million deal that included a $1
million bonus when he was placed on the active roster and $1.25
million each for 30 and 90 days on the active roster.
He never made it back - at least not with Atlanta.
Shortly before his first scheduled start, Glavine began feeling
pain in his shoulder. He admitted that retirement was a
possibility, but two weeks of rest left him feeling much better. He
made two rehab starts for Triple-A Gwinnett, throwing five shutout
innings in his second appearance, and added to his scoreless streak
at Rome.
Wren said the numbers didn't matter.
"The comeback was not working," the GM said. "Our evaluation
was he would not be successful."