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Tom Glavine's return to the Atlanta Braves will not have a storybook ending.
The surefire Hall of Famer was released by the team on Wednesday, the team announced. The move was first reported by ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
Glavine, 43, spent the first 16 seasons of his career in Atlanta and was brought back last season. Injuries limited him to only 13 starts and he has yet to pitch for the Braves this season. He underwent elbow and shoulder surgery, then had complications in April while preparing to rejoin Atlanta.
The winner of 305 career games had thrown 11 scoreless innings in his last two rehabilitation starts, however.
Glavine was due a $1 million bonus if the Braves added him to the active roster, another $1.25 after 30 days of being with the Braves and then $1.25 million more after 90 days.
The left-hander is not happy about the Braves' decision.
"He wants to pitch. He feels great," his agent, Gregg Clifton, told Olney. "He's still shocked about being released by a team he's been a member of, and he's not prepared to retire. He looks forward to pitching again in 2009."
Glavine met with Braves general manager Frank Wren, John Schuerholz, and manager Bobby Cox. Glavine was told his velocity is down, and the executives suggested to Glavine that he could retire. But Glavine intends to pitch again.
In a statement announcing Glavine's release, the Braves thanked the pitcher.
"We appreciate and respect everything Tom has done for and brought to the Atlanta Braves organization and our fans," Wren said in the statement. "His accomplishments for our club during his Hall of Fame career is a measure of his dedication that we will always respect and admire. We wish him nothing but the very best."
At a time when the Braves are looking for offensive help, it appears that this was a move made for economic reasons. They had a need for outfield help and then got some later on Wednesday, acquiring Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Charlie Morton and two minor leaguers.
McLouth signed a three-year extension that will pay him $15.75 million in February.
The Braves also made a couple of pitching moves on Wednesday. They put Jorge Campillo on the disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis and announced that prospect Tommy Hanson will be called up to pitch on Saturday.
Clifton said: "Tom is extremely disappointed. He agreed to return to the Atlanta Braves at a drastic discount, and assume all the risk for his 2009 contract, except for a base salary. He has fulfilled his obligations and rehabbed diligently to return to the Braves staff, and to not have that opportunity at this time is extremely disappointing for a Hall of Fame player like Tom Glavine."
The Braves closed the clubhouse before their game against the Chicago Cubs. When team spokesman Brad Hainje finally poked his head out less than hour before the first pitch, he said Glavine had already left Turner Field after meeting with team officials.
Hainje said manager Bobby Cox and the players would not comment until after the game.
Glavine won two Cy Young Awards with the Braves and is a 10-time National League All-Star. He has won 20 games five times in his career on the way to a 305-203 mark, with 224 of those wins coming with the Braves. He owns a 3.54 career ERA in 682 games, all starts.
The formidable Braves rotation that included Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz took Atlanta to five World Series appearances in the 1990s. Glavine was named MVP of the Series in 1995 when the Braves won their only title.
Two teams that have been looking for pitching and might be a good fit for Glavine are the Dodgers and Phillies. But a source told Olney that the Dodgers, who own the best record in the league, are a "longshot."
The surefire Hall of Famer was released by the team on Wednesday, the team announced. The move was first reported by ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.
Glavine, 43, spent the first 16 seasons of his career in Atlanta and was brought back last season. Injuries limited him to only 13 starts and he has yet to pitch for the Braves this season. He underwent elbow and shoulder surgery, then had complications in April while preparing to rejoin Atlanta.
The winner of 305 career games had thrown 11 scoreless innings in his last two rehabilitation starts, however.
Glavine was due a $1 million bonus if the Braves added him to the active roster, another $1.25 after 30 days of being with the Braves and then $1.25 million more after 90 days.
The left-hander is not happy about the Braves' decision.
"He wants to pitch. He feels great," his agent, Gregg Clifton, told Olney. "He's still shocked about being released by a team he's been a member of, and he's not prepared to retire. He looks forward to pitching again in 2009."
Glavine met with Braves general manager Frank Wren, John Schuerholz, and manager Bobby Cox. Glavine was told his velocity is down, and the executives suggested to Glavine that he could retire. But Glavine intends to pitch again.
In a statement announcing Glavine's release, the Braves thanked the pitcher.
"We appreciate and respect everything Tom has done for and brought to the Atlanta Braves organization and our fans," Wren said in the statement. "His accomplishments for our club during his Hall of Fame career is a measure of his dedication that we will always respect and admire. We wish him nothing but the very best."
At a time when the Braves are looking for offensive help, it appears that this was a move made for economic reasons. They had a need for outfield help and then got some later on Wednesday, acquiring Nate McLouth from the Pittsburgh Pirates for pitcher Charlie Morton and two minor leaguers.
McLouth signed a three-year extension that will pay him $15.75 million in February.
The Braves also made a couple of pitching moves on Wednesday. They put Jorge Campillo on the disabled list with rotator cuff tendinitis and announced that prospect Tommy Hanson will be called up to pitch on Saturday.
Clifton said: "Tom is extremely disappointed. He agreed to return to the Atlanta Braves at a drastic discount, and assume all the risk for his 2009 contract, except for a base salary. He has fulfilled his obligations and rehabbed diligently to return to the Braves staff, and to not have that opportunity at this time is extremely disappointing for a Hall of Fame player like Tom Glavine."
The Braves closed the clubhouse before their game against the Chicago Cubs. When team spokesman Brad Hainje finally poked his head out less than hour before the first pitch, he said Glavine had already left Turner Field after meeting with team officials.
Hainje said manager Bobby Cox and the players would not comment until after the game.
Glavine won two Cy Young Awards with the Braves and is a 10-time National League All-Star. He has won 20 games five times in his career on the way to a 305-203 mark, with 224 of those wins coming with the Braves. He owns a 3.54 career ERA in 682 games, all starts.
The formidable Braves rotation that included Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz took Atlanta to five World Series appearances in the 1990s. Glavine was named MVP of the Series in 1995 when the Braves won their only title.
Two teams that have been looking for pitching and might be a good fit for Glavine are the Dodgers and Phillies. But a source told Olney that the Dodgers, who own the best record in the league, are a "longshot."
