ATLANTA — Tim Hudson agreed to a $28 million, three-year contract with the Atlanta Braves yesterday, giving the team a wealth of starting pitching and setting up a likely trade to bolster the offense.

Hudson could have returned to the Braves under a $12 million option, but the sides focused on a longer deal after the right-hander showed he had overcome major elbow surgery.

His new deal calls for $9 million in each of the next three seasons, and the Braves get a $9 million club option for 2013 with a $1 million buyout. If Hudson pitches at least 600 innings over the next three seasons, he would receive a $500,000 bonus after the 2012 season.

The 34-year-old pitcher said it actually took longer to schedule a physical and set up insurance for the new contract than the actual negotiations.

"I did all I could do to get healthy and show them they could have confidence in me," said Hudson, who started seven games late in the season after missing a full year. "They came to me with an opening offer that was more than fair. They showed me they really wanted to get something done, as did I."

The Braves now have six starters under contract for next season: Hudson, Javier Vazquez, Jair Jurrjens, Tommy Hanson, Derek Lowe and Kenshin Kawakami.

RIGGLEMAN NAMED NATIONALS MANAGER

Jim Riggleman waited a decade for another chance to be a full-fledged manager in the major leagues — no interim tag attached. He finally earned that job with the Washington Nationals.

The Nationals are sticking with Riggleman after promoting him from bench coach midway through last season, announcing yesterday that he'll be their manager in 2010.