Smoltz to Red Sox?

[hmsmike 48]

Cause he's an old man who's starting days are behind him...he would be awesome as a setup guy for Pap. Never liked the Braves putting him back in the rotation after he did his stint in the bullpen. Guess they didn't have much choice with lack of talent among the starting pitchers but he was great out of the bullpen.

Oh, and the Sox middle relief isn't so great so we could use the help there.

Yeah I agree with our Mid as well -- he would be a great asset there!

[bubbadawg 2]

has to be middle relief. I love Smoltzie , but can't rationally pull anyone out of the Boston rotation to make room for him

[chbright 32]

why mid relief, guy had 150 saves. guy is a gamer, and he has shown he can adapt to any position you stick him in, starter, closer, hell bullpen work.

he will be the setup/7th inning guy, and give them a nasty end game with pap closing. hell he can spell pap at times.

still not happy at all with wren though he lowballed the base and if i was smoltz i would been upset too.

[hmsmike 48]

why mid relief, guy had 150 saves. guy is a gamer, and he has shown he can adapt to any position you stick him in, starter, closer, hell bullpen work.

he will be the setup/7th inning guy, and give them a nasty end game with pap closing. hell he can spell pap at times.

still not happy at all with wren though he lowballed the base and if i was smoltz i would been upset too.

I say because of the major surgery but it looks like he will get his wish as a starter around June 1st...

http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/archives/2009/01/smoltz_expected_to_sign_with_r.html

Smoltz set to sign with Red Sox

John Smoltz's days with the Braves are over. The veteran hurler could sign with the Red Sox as early as Thursday afternoon.

A Major League source who was in contact with Smoltz on Wednesday night said the 41-year-old right-hander will be calling the Braves on Thursday morning to tell them that he has decided to sign with the Red Sox..

Smoltz, who had been with the Braves since making his Major League debut in 1988, will make a guaranteed $5.5 million. The source said his offer also includes "very attainable" incentives that could raise his 2009 earnings to $10 million.

With Smoltz coming off major shoulder surgery, the Red Sox don't plan on having him pitch until June 1. He's expected to get his wish to serve as a starter.

- Mark Bowman

[Scrumtrilescent 3,237]

Y'all just got the best starting pitcher in post season history. If his arm was healthy, I wouldn't think twice about putting him out for a Game 7. He'd give you 6 solid innings.

Didn't know this until they said it on ESPN, but since he came back from the pen he's had more quality starts than anyone in baseball (6 IP, 3 ER, etc.). Nearly 75% of the time. If he could just stay healthy.

[shinner 0]

why mid relief, guy had 150 saves. guy is a gamer, and he has shown he can adapt to any position you stick him in, starter, closer, hell bullpen work.

he will be the setup/7th inning guy, and give them a nasty end game with pap closing. hell he can spell pap at times.

Setup guy would be fine with me, too....he's never going to take saves away from Papelbon unless JP goes in the shitter. Then it would be great to have Smoltz available for that role.

[chbright 32]

Setup guy would be fine with me, too....he's never going to take saves away from Papelbon unless JP goes in the sh*tter. Then it would be great to have Smoltz available for that role.

more on the when pap needs a day off john steps in, not t o say he splits, but only when pap has been run out a few too many times and needs a day off.

[shinner 0]

more on the when pap needs a day off john steps in, not t o say he splits, but only when pap has been run out a few too many times and needs a day off.

I will greatly look forward to that happening

[Freeze 0]

I wonder if he'll go back to his old delivery or keep trying that sidearm thing.

[hmsmike 48]

He will start!

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=3829531

"Both said this is the best-case scenario for how strong he is right now," Epstein said. "I don't know if John would say this, but we feel if we absolutely had to have him in for April, physically he'd be capable to do that but we're looking at the big picture here.

"I see him starting important games for us late in the season and, hopefully, into October."

Bring it home, Smoltz!! I am really getting excited about this ... I really like the older players anyways like Schilling, ya know!