KISSIMMEE, Fla. Wayne Gallman Jersey . -- The Atlanta Braves agreed Wednesday on a $14.1 million, one-year contract with Ervin Santana, bolstering their injury plagued starting rotation. The 33-year-old right-hander went 9-10 with a 3.24 ERA in 32 starts for the Kansas City Royals last season and should make a huge impact with the battered Braves, who are facing the prospect of losing Kris Medlen for the season and opening with Brandon Beachy and Mike Minor on the disabled list. Medlen, who had been announced as Atlantas opening-day starter, left a spring training outing Sunday after grabbing his right elbow. Initial tests showed ligament damage, and he will undergo further examination to determine if he needs surgery for the second time in less than four years. Medlen said hes already preparing himself to miss the entire season. Beachy left a start Monday because of continuing problems with his right elbow, and Minor has yet to pitch this spring because of a sore shoulder. "In light of what has happened over the past few days with our pitching staff, we felt it was incumbent on us to do everything we could to strengthen our starting pitching," Braves general manager Frank Wren told reporters before a game against Washington. Santana will be pitching in the NL for the first time in his 10-year career. He spent eight seasons with the Los Angeles Angels before being traded to the Royals in 2013, helping Kansas City post an 86-76 record, their best since 1989. But Santana, who made $13 million in the final year of his contract, turned down a $14.1 million qualifying offer from the Royals and became a free agent. Given his hefty contract demands, he remained unsigned as spring training began, despite putting up some impressive career numbers. "This guy makes our rotation a lot better than where we are at now," Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez said, praising Wren. "We lost Medlen and Beachy in a matter of 2 1/2 days and he went out there and got the best pitcher available for us." Santana threw a bullpen at the Braves spring training complex on Wednesday, which Gonzalez said went well. Despite his late entrance to camp, Santana could be ready for the start of the season. "It will be close," Gonzalez said. "We are kind of keeping our fingers crossed that we can get him enough innings where he can start for us." Santana was an AL All-Star in 2008, tossed a no-hitter in 2011, and has reached double-figure wins five times, going a career-best 17-10 in 2010 and twice winning 16 games. Overall, he is 105-90 with a 4.19 ERA. Santanas agent, Jay Alou, said he initially received a text from Wren on Sunday, then got another call Tuesday night while negotiating with other clubs. It didnt take long to reach an agreement with Atlanta, a deal that includes award bonuses. Its easy to see why the Braves felt a sense of desperation. Medlen went a team-leading 15-12 with a 3.11 ERA last season, while Minor was 13-9 with a 3.21 ERA. The team also was counting on a full recovery for Beachy, who was one of the NLs most effective pitchers in 2012 before he underwent season-ending elbow surgery. Beachy has been limited to a total of 18 starts over the past two seasons, enduring several setbacks in his attempt to come back. After his latest problem, he will miss his next scheduled spring start and faces another trip to the DL. Minor, who underwent urinary tract surgery on Dec. 31, hopes to pitch within the next week but also seems likely to start the season on the DL while he builds his arm strength. Given all the health issues, the Braves got to the go-ahead from corporate owner Liberty Media to bump the payroll well above the projected $100 million limit. Wren called it "an incredible decision by the organization." With opening day less than three weeks away, the only healthy members of the Braves possible rotation are second-year pitchers Julio Teheran (14-8 last season) and Alex Wood, rookie David Hale and non-roster invitee Freddy Garcia. Hale and Garcia have both struggled this spring. Atlanta also signed veteran Gavin Floyd, but he is coming off Tommy John surgery and wont be ready to pitch until at least May. Now, add Santana to the list, though it will likely be mid-April before he is prepared to join the rotation. He has been throwing on the side and could make his spring training debut next week. "We want to take the right amount of caution to get him ready right, and be ready for the long haul," Wren said. By signing Santana, the Braves forfeited their first-round pick in Junes amateur draft, No. 26 overall, and the Royals will receive a compensation-round selection, the 28th overall. Atlantas first pick is now 32nd overall, as compensation for losing free agent catcher Brian McCann, who signed with the New York Yankees. Santanas signing leaves only two free agents -- Stephen Drew and Kendrys Morales -- available from the 13 players who turned down qualifying offers. If they agree to one-year contracts after opening day, they wouldnt be subject to qualifying offers this November. If they wait until after the draft to reach agreements, clubs that sign them wont lose selections. Among the 22 qualifying offers in the two years of the new labour contract, none have been accepted. "Frankly, the players havent adjusted to the change," New York Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said. "To blame the system versus the marketplace and blame the system versus a misunderstanding of the marketplace I think is a little one-sided. From a management standpoint, Id say, Hey, Im surprised if you guys havent taken a qualifying offer. Maybe they should have." Mark Herzlich Jersey . Former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds made his longshot request of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco. A three-judge panel of the 9th Circuit upheld Bonds conviction in September. Brad Wing Jersey . A last-minute leveler ensured the two-time defending champion remained nine points ahead of Roma, which drew 0-0 at bitter rival Lazio in the capital derby. http://www.nygiantsfanatic.com/ .com Tour title, closing with a 6-under 64 for a four-stroke victory. The 22-year-old former North Texas player finished at 12-under 268 at Panama Golf Club and earned $112,500 to jump from seventh to second on the money list with $171,500.RISOUL, France -- Panting hard with his jersey unzipped and wide open in the heat, Polish rider Rafal Majka sped to a solo breakaway victory on Stage 14 as the Tour de France wrapped up its foray in the Alps on Saturday. The two stages were expected to shake up the standings, but Vincenzo Nibali was not only still wearing the yellow jersey, he was farther out front. In a flip of their finishes a day earlier in the races entree to the Alps when Nibali won, the Pole and the Italian crossed one-two after the 177-kilometre (110-mile) ride over the 2,360-meter (7,742-foot) Izoard pass -- the races highest point -- and a final ascent up to Risoul ski station. Majkas victory was the first on this Tour by his Tinkoff-Saxo Bank team, which lost main leader Alberto Contador when he crashed out injured on Stage 10. Majka was not a threat to Nibali: He began the day 97 minutes behind the race leader, who has carried out a methodical, chipping-away strategy against his biggest challengers for the yellow jersey. "I am really very happy," Majka, who was sixth in the Giro dItalia this year, said of his first professional victory after chucking his stage winners bouquet to the crowd. He became only the second Polish rider to win a Tour stage, after Zenon Jaskula in 1993. "I am a little tired, but ... I had a calm first week to help Alberto. It broke my heart to see him leave." Team owner Oleg Tinkov, a Russian businessman, choked up, wiped his nose, and put on sunglasses. "We lost Alberto, we had to win," he said through a translator on French TV. "Rafal is a marvelous young rider. We will come back to try to win the Tour one day." Majka said he did not believe speculation that Tinkoff-Saxo Bank selected him among its nine Tour riders only after the team suspended Czech rider Roman Kreuziger. Just days before announcing its Tour roster last month, the team suspended Kreuziger from competing any more this year because of anomalies in his biological passport, which cycling officials use to fight doping. He has denied any wrongdoing. Majka, who said he was tired after the strong Giro performance, said he was given assurances by team managers that "youll do the Tour, but youll take it easy in the first week," he said. "Its also wrong to think that Im doing the Tour because Roman Kreuziger isnt. Had he been able to start, we would have both been part of the team." Victor Petri, a team spokesman, confirmed Majka was in contention for a roster spot before the Kreuziger case. The Pole was out front early in the stage, joining a 17-rider breakaway behind Spains Joaquim Rodriguez, the Tours bestt climber. Mark Bavaro Jersey. They cleared the first big climb, the Lauteret pass, with about a five-minute lead. By the top of the Izoard, they had thinned to 10. As the groupetto splintered on the last climb, and Nibali and the peloton closed in, Majka covered the last eight kilometres alone. The stage didnt shake up the top five standings, but the days biggest loser was Alejandro Valverde of Spain: The Movistar team leader held on to his second place but lost a minute to Nibali and saw his gap over third-place Romain Bardet of France slip to 13 seconds. Overall, Nibali leads Valverde by 4:37 and Bardet by 4:50. American Tejay van Garderen was fifth, 5:49 back. Nibalis strong performance makes the Tour from here to the finish in eight days in Paris looking more and more like a race for podium spots below him. Giuseppe Martinelli, a manager with Nibalis Astana team and an Italian cycling veteran, said Nibalis "big engine" was making the difference: "Its what makes the difference between a very strong rider and a regular rider." "Preparation, team strategy, thats all good. But its the engine that makes the difference in times like this," Martinelli added. Nibai crossed 24 seconds behind Majka, followed by Jean-Christophe Peraud in third, two seconds slower. Bardet and fellow French rider Thibaut Pinot conducted a two-man sprint and crossed another 24 seconds back. Van Garderen was fifth, 54 seconds behind. "From the team car, I was told: If you still have something in the tank, go for it," Nibali said. "I was looking at gaining some time over Alejandro Valverde. I heard that he cracked after I left him." Valverde, speaking from a team car, said "I didnt crack!" and explained that his trouble stemmed mainly from bad co-ordination with Pinot on the final climb and taking leadership of their bunch. As for the overall title chase, Valverde said: "Nibali is the strongest, but we others are neck and neck." Nibali addressed speculation that he might have known Michele Ferrari, an Italian doctor who was banned by the Italian Cycling Federation in 2002 and by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency two years ago for serving as a doping consultant on Lance Armstrongs winning teams. "Ive never met him personally. Ive been accused in the past to have worked with him," said Nibali, referring to allegations that there were photographs of him together with Ferrari. "Those pictures simply didnt exist." Sundays stage offers some relief after the Alps: Stage 15 is a flat 222 kilometres (138 miles) from Tallard to Nimes, before riders take the second rest day. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '