 12/19/2003 4:29 PM ET
Braves add Alfonseca to bullpen
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| Antonio Alfonseca lost his closer's job after suffering an injury during Spring Training. (Aynsley Floyd/AP)
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ATLANTA -- The Braves bolstered their bullpen by coming to terms on a one-year deal with veteran right-handed reliever Antonio Alfonseca on Friday.
Alfonseca will give the Braves a much-needed veteran presence in their bullpen. He will join Will Cunnane, Jaret Wright and Kevin Gryboski as closer John Smoltz's primary setup men.
Operating under a tight budget throughout this offseason, the Braves had lost out in their pursuit of other veteran relievers like Tim Worrell and Arthur Rhodes. Thus, this week, they turned up the heat in their pursuit of Alfonseca, who went 3-1 with a career-worst 5.83 ERA for the Cubs this past season.
His disappointing season dramatically dropped his price tag. The 31-year-old reliever, who made $4 million last year, will make $1.5 million and have the chance to earn another $1 million through incentives.
"We feel this is a worthwhile risk to take on a guy who we believe is ready to get back on track," said Braves assistant general manager Frank Wren, who signed Alfonseca to his first professional contract in 1989.
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