Hey everyone, I just got a quick update today as the Braves have invited some non-roster invitees to spring training. Every once in a while one of these players will make the team out of spring traning but for most of them, this is about as good as it will get.

RHPs Rafael Cruz, Emiliano Fruto, Tommy Hanson and Kris Medlen; LHPs Francisley Bueno, Mariano Gomez and Juan Perez); catchers J.C. Boscan, Phillip Britton, Alvin Colina and Matt Kennelly; INFs Brooks Conrad, Freddie Freeman and Brandon Hicks, and OFs Jason Heyward and Jordan Schafer are the players that have been invited.

The Atlanta Braves have signed another starting pitcher this off season as they have agreed on a four year deal with Derrek Lowe. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that the four-year deal will be worth $60 million. All that needs to be done now is for Lowe to pass a physical and he will be the newest member of the Atlanta Braves.

Lowe, 35, has a career 126-107 record in 12 seasons with Seattle, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Braves also announced that they have officialy signed Kenshin Kawakami to a three-year contract worth $24 million. We blogged about this signing a couple of days ago and now that Kawakami passed his physical everything is official.

The Atlanta Braves seen John Smoltz sign with the Boston Red Sox this past week and so they went out and signed Japanese pitcher Kenshin Kawakami. Kawakami has pitched the last 11 seasons in Japan’s central league and was one of the best pitchers in the league. Kawakami went 9-5 with a 2.30 ERA in 20 appearances (16 starts) and 117 1/3 innings for the Chunichi Dragons this past season. He missed nearly three weeks in September with a strained back and pitched most of the season in a six-man rotation.

The Braves are also expected to make a formal offer to free agent Derek Lowe on Monday or Tuesday. Lowe would be a great free agent pickup for the team and will make the starting rotation a lot better.

It will suck to see John Smoltz playing for the Boston Red Sox but general manager Frank Wren just couldn’t take another risk on a verteran pitcher coming off of an injury.

Braves Blog