Braves sign Wandy Rodriguez to minor-league deal

The Braves have agreed to sign left-hander Wandy Rodriguez to a minor-league contract, as was first reported by Hector Gomez of Listin Diario. The deal will pay Rodriguez a base salary of $2 million if he is on the major-league roster, according to CBSSports.com's Jon Heyman.

Multiple reports last month stated that Rodriguez was on the verge of a deal with the Phillies, though we reported at that time that reports of a deal were "premature", likely due to the team and player wanting to keep things close to the vest in case of a failed physical. Some reports today have stated that Rodriguez did indeed fail his physical with Philadelphia, though Atlanta's willingness to get a deal done means that his medicals are satisfactory, at least in the minds of the Braves' decision-makers.

Rodriguez, who turns 36 next week, made only six starts with the Pirates last season before being released and undergoing season-ending knee surgery in June. He will likely battle with David Hale for the fifth spot in the Braves' rotation behind Julio Teheran, Shelby Miller, Alex Wood, and Mike Minor. He is the owner of a lifetime 91-94 record and 4.06 ERA in ten major-league seasons with the Astros (2005-2012) and Pirates (2012-2014), but has shown flashes of brilliance in two seasons with a sub-3.50 ERA.