Braves, Glavine close to terms for return

The Braves had a weekend full of Hall of Fame pursuits, one of which may be coming close to a conclusion. Fox Sports is reporting that 300-game winner Tom Glavine is on the verge of signing a one-year deal to return to Atlanta.

Ken Rosenthal broke the story late Monday night, reporting that Atlanta has offered Glavine a deal with a $1 million base. The contract also contains an additional $3.5 million in incentives, with $1 million of that coming if Glavine makes Atlanta's Opening Day roster.

Glavine and agent Gregg Clifton have both spoken positively of their negotiations with Braves General Manager Frank Wren as the two sides exchanged salary numbers in recent weeks. In addition to the incentives, a portion of the deal will be deferred.

Glavine, 43, was just 2-4 last season in 13 starts before undergoing season ending surgery on both his elbow and shoulder in August. The procedure was not as invasive as initially believed, paving the way for Glavine to rehabilitate his arm and be ready for spring training.

Atlanta has spent the offseason completely revamping their starting rotation, having added free agents Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami and traded for Javier Vazquez. With Jair Jurrjens also guaranteed a spot, Glavine would be in contention for the fifth starter's spot this spring.

In addition to Glavine, Jo-Jo Reyes, Charlie Morton, Jorge Campillo and top prospect Tommy Hanson are all expected to vie for the spot. The Braves do not expect righty Tim Hudson to return from Tommy John surgery until sometime in August.

Glavine spent the first 16 years of his career with the Braves, racking up 242 victories before signing as a free agent with the New York Mets after the 2002 season. In 2007, Glavine became just the 23rd pitcher in the history of the game to reach the 300 win plateau when the Mets defeated the Chicago Cubs 8-3 on August 5.

After five seasons in New York, Glavine signed a one-year deal to return to the Braves prior to last season. His 305 career wins are the fourth most by a left-hander in baseball history, trailing only Warren Spahn, Steve Carlton and Eddie Plank.