ATLANTA — Former Arkansas pitcher Drew Smyly became the first of the 181 free agents to switch teams when he agreed Monday to an $11 million, one-year contract with the Atlanta Braves, who bolstered a rotation that was depleted by injuries and disappointing performances.
The 31-year-old pitched seven games last season for the San Francisco Giants, making five starts. He went 0-1 with a 3.42 ERA.
But the Braves were impressed with his strikeout ratio and an increase in velocity, believing a pitcher who has never won more than nine games or made more than $7 million in a season might be entering the prime of his career.