Atlanta Braves sign free agent pitcher Ervin Santana

Sep 14, 2013; Detroit, MI, USA; Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Ervin Santana (54) walks off the field after being relieved in the seventh inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

UPDATE #3: Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reports that the 1-year deal for Santana comes in at $14.1 million.

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UPDATE #2: The deal is now official.

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Update: ESPN’s Enrique Rojas reports that the deal is for 1 year. Stay tuned for more updates as they arrive.

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The rumor mill has been in full swing since right-hander Kris Medlen left Sunday’s start while holding his right arm and the team announced a “ligament issue”, and now, it appears as if the Atlanta Braves have moved swiftly to replace him in the rotation with the signing of Ervin Santana.

Both David O’Brien of the AJC and Mark Bowman of MLB.com are reporting that the Braves are set to complete the signing of free agent right-hander Ervin Santana on Wednesday morning, and this is huge news. Financial details are not available at this time, but it is a good bet that Santana easily becomes the highest-paid pitcher on the Atlanta staff, and the deal will likely reach the 8-figure range.

The 31-year-old Santana had the best season of his career in 2013, posting a 3.24 ERA over 211 innings with the Royals, but he has also been wildly inconsistent at times, leading some Braves fans to being averse to the move. Still, he was the only option available on the free agent market, and with the lack of trade assets in the Atlanta farm system, this was the obvious move. A full evaluation will be difficult until the monetary details are released, but the short-term fix for the rotation appears to be signed, sealed, and delivered.