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Not content just to avoid arbitration with closer Rafael Soriano, the Braves signed him to a two-year, $9 million contract Thursday that bought out his first year of free agency.
The hard-throwing, right-handed Dominican agreed to terms last week and the deal was finalized Thursday after Soriano flew to Atlanta and passed a physical. He gets a $500,000 signing bonus and salaries of $2.4 million in 2008 and $6.1 million in 2009."We had hoped to do [a multi-year contract], and there was a mutual interest from our very early discussions," said Braves general manager Frank Wren, who spoke with Soriano on Thursday at Turner Field.
"He's excited — his only complaint was that it's a little cold."
When arbitration figures were exchanged last week, Soriano asked for $3.4 million and the Braves offered $2.4 million.
In his first season with Atlanta in 2007, Soriano made $1.2 million and went 3-3 with a 3.00 ERA and career highs of 72 strikeouts, 71 appearances and 70 innings. He converted nine of 12 saves as the backup to closer Bob Wickman, who was released in late August.
"Just looking at it realistically, we'll have him as our closer in '08 and see where it goes from there," said Wren, who also could have left-hander Mike Gonzalez as a possible closer in 2009.

Soriano signs 2-year deal | ajc.com