The Atlanta Braves 2013 roster just got some more company, as the team picked up the options on catcher Brian McCann and starting pitchers Tim Hudson and Paul Maholm. As. Expected.
It's not really news, since this was sort of a no-brainer move, but it does tell us that the always steady Braves are still being steady, and not rocking any boats.
The only player signed for next season before today was actually Dan Uggla, at $13 million. McCann's option for next year is $12 million, Hudson's $9 million, and Maholm's $6.5 million. That brings the 2013 payroll total to... $40.5 million. There are still many more players to sign and re-sign. For a full breakdown of the payroll situation for next season click here.
The only might-have-been-surprise today was McCann's option. Since he just had surgery on his shoulder, and likely won't be ready for the start of the season, there was some talk that the team might try to renegotiate the contract. There was also some talk that the team might decline the option, but that was never really that serious.
The Braves made the right move by picking up McCann's option. Hopefully he'll return to All-Star form next year with a rebuilt shoulder. Now the team turns to the other free agents they would like to retain -- notably catcher David Ross and outfielder Reed Johnson.