Braves close Hampton deal

Atlanta got the left-handed pitcher from Florida and saved a lot of money in the deal.
ATLANTA (AP) -- Mike Hampton wanted out of Coors Field. That was the easy part. Figuring out the money trail was much more complicated.
In a deal that resembled a complex corporate merger, Hampton wound up with the Atlanta Braves and a record amount of cash -- $36.5 million -- changed hands among three teams.
"We weren't sure if the deal would pass muster," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said Monday after commissioner Bud Selig signed off on it. "We were plying new ground with this amount of dollars being traded and transferred."
The upshot of the trade: The Braves got Hampton, $30 million to help pay his massive contract and the flexibility to re-sign Tom Glavine or Greg Maddux; the Colorado Rockies rid themselves of Hampton's contract and will wind up paying $49 million for two dismal seasons; and the Florida Marlins saved about $23 million but were weakened on the field.
The Braves were interested in signing Hampton two years ago, but the left-hander took a $121 million, eight-year deal from the Rockies -- a record for a pitcher.
Struggled in Colorado
The 30-year-old Hampton was a bust in Denver's thin air. After a 9-2 start in 2001, he went 12-26 with a 6.62 ERA for the Rockies. This season, he was 7-15 with a 6.15 ERA, the highest in the major leagues among qualifying pitchers.
Now, he's got a fresh start with a team that has 11 straight division championships.
"Being as competitive as he is, he was attracted to the fact that the Braves enjoy being competitive on an annual basis," said Hampton's agent, Mark Rodgers.
But the Braves, looking to cut payroll after five straight years of declining attendance, never would have made the trade without significant financial help.
First, the Marlins acquired Hampton, outfielder Juan Pierre and $6.5 million from the Rockies in exchange for Johnson, Wilson, left-handed reliever Vic Darensbourg and second base prospect Pablo Ozuna.
Florida was anxious to dump the contracts of Johnson ($26 million over the next three years) and Wilson (owed $28 million through 2005). But in order to move Hampton, the Marlins agreed to pay Atlanta $30 million over the next three years.
The Braves sent the Marlins reliever Tim Spooneybarger, who was 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA and one save in 51 games, and minor league pitcher Ryan Baker. Spooneybarger could become Florida's closer.
Atlanta is on the hook for only $5.5 million of Hampton's contract over the next three years, then picks up the remainder of what he is owed: $13.5 million in 2006, $14.5 in '07 and $15 million in '08.
Still eye Glavine, Maddux
But the first three years were crucial, increasing the possibility of the Braves re-signing Glavine and/or Maddux.
"Based upon the distribution of the payments, Atlanta will certainly have the financial flexibility to secure Tom's services, if that's what they're inclined to do," said Glavine's agent, Gregg Clifton.
The Braves have had substantial discussions with Glavine, a two-time Cy Young Award winner who has spent his entire 16-year career in Atlanta. Late Friday, the team offered a two-year, $18 million contract with a $9 million option for 2005 if he pitches 225 innings or makes 33 starts in '04.
The New York Mets made Glavine a three-year offer worth about $31 million, slightly more than Philadelphia's three-year proposal. The Boston Red Sox also are showing interest in Glavine, a native of Massachusetts, calling his agent on Monday.
Maddux, a four-time Cy Young Award winner, has been with the Braves for a decade but seems less likely to return than Glavine. His agent, Scott Boras, isn't expected to begin serious talks with teams until next month.