The Braves have outrighted right-hander Kenshin Kawakami to the minor leagues and he insists that he wants to remain in the United States. Atlanta signed Kawakami to a three-year, $23 million contract prior to the 2009 season. "If he returns to his native Japan, he feels he would erase his final opportunity to prove that he can be successful in the U.S.," writes MLB.com's Mark Bowman.