The Atlanta Braves have reportedly inked free agent pitcher Derek Lowe to a 4 year deal worth $60 million and also signed Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami to a three year deal.
Lowe, who went 14-11 with a 3.24 ERA last year for the Dodgers joins a Braves staff that will be without ace Tim Hudson for at least the first half of the year and recently lost Mike Hampton and John Smoltz to free agency.
Kawakami is a 33 year old former MVP who went 9-5 last year and according to Brave manager Bobby Cox, has excellent control.
Atlanta entered the offseason with an expressed desire to revamp their rotation and with these two signings they appear to have succeeded. The rotation will likely feature Lowe as the ace, with Javier Vazquez (acquired from the Chicago White Sox in an trade earlier this offseason), Kawakami, and sophmore pitchers Jair Jurrjens and Jorge Campillo as the 2-5 starters.
