After passing a physical, it appears that Tim Hudson is set to sign a three-year $27 million contract extension to stay in Atlanta. Hudson will undergo a MRI on his right elbow to finalize the extension. Hudson took a hometown discount to stay in Atlanta, despite being able to make around $10 million per year in free agency. Hudson went 2-1 with a 3.61 ERA while making seven starts for the Braves after returning from Tommy John surgery.With Hudson signed, the Braves can look to trade either Derek Lowe or Javier Vazquez to secure an offensive player. Lowe went 15-10 with a 4.67 ERA while making $15 million last year. Lowe is owed $45 million over the next three seasons, making him very difficult to move. On the other hand, Vazquez made $11.5 million while going 15-10 with a 2.87 ERA. Vazquez is coming off a career year, but would bring in much more in a trade. Atlanta will most likely look to acquire a right-handed power bat in a trade or via free agency.

This past week the Braves attempted to strengthen their bullpen with the signing of Scott Proctor. Proctor has put up mediocre career numbers with a 4.42 ERA and a 1.40 WHIP. Atlanta made the move in anticipation of losing Mike Gonzalez or Rafael Soriano. Atlanta will look to retain either Gonzalez or Soriano as Peter Moylan is not ready to assume the closer role. It is expected that Atlanta will try to sign Gonzalez, who has filed for free agency, while Soriano is also expected to file for free agency in the next few days.

Other Braves to file for free agency are Adam LaRoche, Garret Anderson, and Greg Norton. The Braves will attempt to resign LaRoche to a one or two-year deal, while the New York Mets could also be suitors for the power hitting lefty. Garret Anderson will likely sign as a DH in the American League while Greg Norton is likely to retire after batting just .145 with 7 RBI in 76 at bats in 2009. While batting .313 with 13 home runs in just 125 games, Matt Diaz has proven he can play left field on a regular basis. Diaz makes up for his below average defense with a solid bat who crushes lefties. Jason Heyward may also be able to add a boost in power to the outfield in June or July when he is expected to reach the majors.