Maddux agrees to record $14.75 mil.

Paul Newberry

Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2003 | 9:47 a.m.

ATLANTA -- Greg Maddux is used to setting records. On Monday, the Las Vegan claimed another.

The four-time Cy Young Award winner avoided an arbitration hearing by agreeing to the largest one-year contract in baseball history, a $14.75 million deal with the Atlanta Braves.

The previous record for a one-year contract was pitcher David Cone's $12 million deal with the New York Yankees in 2000.

Maddux became a free agent after winning 16 games last season, but failed to draw much interest in the open market. He accepted the Braves' offer of arbitration in December, binding him to the team for the 2003 season.

Maddux had asked for $16 million and the Braves countered with an offer of $13.5 million.

The two sides split the difference, agreeing on a contract right in the middle and avoiding a hearing that was scheduled for Thursday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

"Greg called me (Sunday) and told me he had indications from the team that they wanted to make a step toward settlement," said Maddux's agent, Scott Boras. "He directed me to look at that, which we did."

Braves general manager John Schuerholz said Maddux actually made the first move.

"We had always thought that if we were able to get to a midpoint settlement, we would be amenable to that," Schuerholz said. "His comments to me indicated that he was also going to be amenable to it, too. We continued to discuss it and got it done."

Maddux, who will be 37 shortly after opening day, went 16-6 with a 2.62 ERA last season. He tied Cy Young as the only pitchers in baseball history to win at least 15 games in 15 consecutive seasons.

While Schuerholz isn't adverse to taking a case to arbitration, he was glad the team avoided that outcome with Maddux.

"Because of who we were talking about, his stature on our team and his stature in the game, we felt it was appropriate to try to resolve it at a midpoint settlement," the GM said in a telephone interview from the Braves' spring training home in Kissimmee, Fla.

Maddux is coming off one of his toughest seasons. Nagging injuries (back, calf, neck, side) limited the right-hander to just 199 1-3 innings -- fewest since he was a rookie with the Chicago Cubs in 1987. He averaged only 5.9 innings per start and failed to pitch a complete game for the first time in his 16-year career.

Maddux was the first pitcher to win four consecutive Cy Young awards, a feat he accomplished from 1992-95. Arizona's Randy Johnson tied the record last season with his fourth in a row.

In 2002, Maddux made $13.1 million in the final season of a $57.5 million, five-year contract.

If Maddux's case had gone to a hearing, he was assured of breaking the arbitration record, win or lose. Braves outfielder Andruw Jones received the highest amount ever from an arbitrator, getting $8.2 million in 2001.

"We wanted to do a one-year deal because Greg has to make some personal decisions with regard to his family," Boras said.

Maddux has a 9-year-old daughter and a 5-year-old son. There has been speculation he would like to finish his career with a team closer to his Las Vegas home.