The Atlanta Braves are expected to extend a $15.3-million qualifying offer to Ervin Santana, ensuring themselves draft-pick compensation should the impending free agent sign elsewhere this offseason, reports David O'Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Braves have until Monday to formally extend an offer to Santana, who would then have a week to decide whether to accept the one-year deal. Should Santana reject the offer and sign elsewhere, the Braves would receive a compensatory pick immediately following the first round of the 2015 draft.
Santana, an All-Star in 2008, signed a one-year deal with the Braves in March despite verbally agreeing to a contract with the Toronto Blue Jays. The 31-year-old right-hander crafted a 3.95 ERA (92 ERA+) across 31 starts last season, allowing just 16 home runs over 196 innings while posting his best strikeout rate (21.9 percent) since 2008.