Wagner signs 1 year deal with Atlanta

Just hours after the Sox made it official offering salary arbitration to reliever Billy Wagner, FoxSports.com reported that the left-hander, whom the Red Sox acquired in August, agreed to terms on a one-year, $7 million deal to close for the Atlanta Braves. The preliminary agreement would require Wagner to undergo a physical today. Wagner was traded to the Red Sox in August and appeared in 15 games for the Sox, serving as a setup man for closer Jonathan Papelbon. He had a 1.98 ERA, pitching 13.2 innings with 22 strikeouts. Opponents batted .174 against him. If the deal is finalized after Wagner takes a physical Today, the Red Sox will receive a first-round draft pick plus a supplemental pick as compensation. Because Wagner is a Type A free agent who declined arbitration to sign with another club, the Sox will get additional compensation draft picks next year, one that could be as high as the No. 20 overall pick (depending on whether Atlanta signs another Type A free agent), as well as a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds of the draft. That, in turn, could represent the highest Red Sox draft pick since 2003, when the team took outfielder David Murphy with the No. 17 overall pick. The sandwich pick, meanwhile, will be no worse than the No. 43 overall selection in next year’s draft.