Author Topic: Red Sox DFA John Smoltz (Read 1148 times)

PC · « **Topic Start:** August 07, 2009, 04:43:55 PM »

...just scrolled by on ESPNews.

PC · « **Reply #1:** August 07, 2009, 04:45:17 PM »

Quote

The Boston Red Sox have designated John Smoltz for assignment, one day after the right-hander was tagged for eight runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings in a 13-6 loss to the Yankees.

The announcement came from Terry Francona during the manager's pre-game news conference at Yankee Stadium.

The Boston Globe reported that Smoltz was en route to Atlanta home on Friday.

The pitcher's outing Thursday shot his ERA to 8.33 for his eight starts this season. It was his most runs allowed since he gave up eight in a no-decision with Atlanta on May 28, 2006, at Wrigley Field.

"I'm not doing it right now," Smoltz said after Thursday's loss. "I'm a big enough man to stand up here and say I'm not doing it. Time may not be on my side if this continues. I've been here before, but not like this."

amanuel · « **Reply #2:** August 07, 2009, 04:56:30 PM »

damn, why not just move him to the bull pen? I seen some of the games he pitched and to me it seems that as the game goes on his loses velocity on his fastball. Move to the bull pen where he has already worked and help them out.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #3:** August 07, 2009, 05:45:16 PM »

Don't know. I thought he could take on the long man / situational righty role that Masterson had. Maybe he wanted to see if someone else would have sign him to start. He may want to do the nominal sign and retire with the Braves. He said all year he wanted to start from the day he signed. Maybe he said, if I can't start, I don't want the money. It's about 60 days left in the season, so that is 60 X 35K + 500K he'll not be getting in bounses. $2.6m?

houston-nat · « **Reply #4:** August 07, 2009, 06:18:45 PM »

Pick him up and have him pitch long relief. Then hire him as a coach of some kind this offseason.

JCA-CrystalCity · « **Reply #5:** August 08, 2009, 11:54:06 AM »

Smoltz is basically going to decide what he wants to do. What the Boston Globe reported today was that his shoulder is not in good enough shape to warm up quickly for relief, so long relief / situational righty (a/k/a the Masterson role) was not an option.

hammondsnats · « **Reply #6:** August 12, 2009, 03:39:41 PM »

He says he isn't going to accept a minor league assignment ... wonder who will pick him up?

Would any of you want him as a fifth starter?

mitlen · « **Reply #7:** August 12, 2009, 04:12:08 PM »

I'd want him just to look after the young bucks. His knowledge is worth a few bucks.

bklynnats · « **Reply #8:** August 13, 2009, 11:30:35 AM »

Quote from: mitlen on August 12, 2009, 04:12:08 PM

I'd want him just to look after the young bucks. His knowledge is worth a few bucks.

This.

Just a few months of Smoltz around to sit on the bench with the young guys and talk to them about pitching would be amazing.

I know the chances of Smoltz coming here probably = the chances of us making the postseason this year

But it's a nice thought.

Nat of the Living Dead · « **Reply #9:** August 13, 2009, 11:35:22 AM »

No, no, no, no. We have got to get over this "hiring for mentorship" bullcrap and start "hiring for pitching." If you want to hear him talk about the glory days and pitching technique, throw him in a rocker on some front porch somewhere and charge $20. This team needs pitchers, not damaged fossils that aren't going to carry their weight around.

Kevrock · « **Reply #10:** August 13, 2009, 11:45:17 AM »

Quote from: bklynnats on August 13, 2009, 11:30:35 AM

This. Just a few months of Smoltz around to sit on the bench with the young guys and talk to them about pitching would be amazing.

I agree.

bklynnats · « **Reply #11:** August 13, 2009, 12:26:00 PM »

Quote from: Nat of the LivingDead on August 13, 2009, 11:35:22 AM

No, no, no, no. We have got to get over this "hiring for mentorship" bullcrap and start "hiring for pitching." If you want to hear him talk about the glory days and pitching technique, throw him in a rocker on some front porch somewhere and charge $20. This team needs pitchers, not damaged fossils that aren't going to carry their weight around.

Even if there was a chance for a few months of Smoltz though? I'm not saying as a commitment for next year. But this year, to slot into the rotation for the last two months of the season.

On general principle, I agree about taking flyers on damaged goods, especially building towards next year. But there's a difference between chatting in a rocker and being around a guy like Smoltz day in and day out, seeing his routine, hearing his observations on opposing hitters, etc. Especially when we're talking two months out of a season that's going to end in September.

I'd pay the $20 for that rocker chat though

Nat of the Living Dead · « **Reply #12:** August 13, 2009, 12:42:54 PM »

Quote from: bklynnats on August 13, 2009, 12:26:00 PM

Even if there was a chance for a few months of Smoltz though? I'm not saying as a commitment for next year. But this year, to slot into the rotation for the last two months of the season.

On general principle, I agree about taking flyers on damaged goods, especially building towards next year. But there's a difference between chatting in a rocker and being around a guy like Smoltz day in and day out, seeing his routine, hearing his observations on opposing hitters, etc. Especially when we're talking two months out of a season that's going to end in September.

I'd pay the $20 for that rocker chat though

It will be an absolute waste, especially just for what? One month of Smoltz before this team heads into the off season. Not every pitcher is John Smoltz. Just because John Smoltz has a routine, observations, etc. does not mean it translates or works for other younger pitchers. Each pitcher is his own beast, IMO and signing Smoltz just to sign him and to "tutor" is pointless and inefficient.

The team has wasted enough time with these dinosaurs and gotten little to no results. Go ask Dmitri Young what I am talking about.

CJames0569 · « **Reply #13:** August 13, 2009, 01:15:36 PM »

Dmitri Young doesn't even deserved to be mentioned in the same sentence as Smoltz. Although I agree, hire him on as a coach don't pay him as a babysitter for the last bit of the season.

Nat of the Living Dead · « **Reply #14:** August 13, 2009, 01:22:20 PM »

Quote from: CJames0569 on August 13, 2009, 01:15:36 PM

Dmitri Young doesn't even deserved to be mentioned in the same sentence as Smoltz. Although I agree, hire him on as a coach don't pay him as a babysitter for the last bit of the season.

He does in the sense that the team basically signed Young to a $10 million contract to do the same exact thing people here are proposing Smoltz do and it was a huge waste of time and resources.

However, I can agree to the idea of Smoltz becoming a coach. If we signed him to a contract that would make him a coach and strictly a coach, I don't have any problem with that. But having him serve as some "mentor" while getting smashed around and losing while doing it makes no sense to me.

bklynnats · « **Reply #15:** August 13, 2009, 02:12:57 PM »

Young was supposed to mentor, sure...but his primary job was to be on the major league roster and produce for the length of his contract, which was a lot longer than two months. That's what he was paid to do, and he hasn't done that. Different situation.

To be fair though, if the cost is anywhere in the ballpark of $10 million then it obviously isn't worth it.

blue911 · « **Reply #16:** August 13, 2009, 02:38:00 PM »

If John Smoltz is such a great mentor, why didn't Atlanta keep him? Why didn't Boston?

spidernat · « **Reply #17:** August 13, 2009, 02:39:38 PM »

Quote from: Nat of the LivingDead on August 13, 2009, 11:35:22 AM

No, no, no, no. We have got to get over this "hiring for mentorship" bullcrap and start "hiring for pitching." If you want to hear him talk about the glory days and pitching technique, throw him in a rocker on some front porch somewhere and charge $20. This team needs pitchers, not damaged fossils that aren't going to carry their weight around.

This.

And who says he even wants to be a "mentor"? This is ridiculous and every time there is a player like this people here are always calling for this crap. It reminds me of ExtremeSkins anytime a player is released from another team.

bklynnats · « **Reply #18:** August 13, 2009, 02:50:37 PM »

If he doesn't want to come here he won't come here. No one's going to chain him up and drag him to Nats Park

But I don't see what the harm is in taking a flyer for two months, assuming the cost was reasonable and that he wanted to come here. (Two big ifs.) And if he goes two innings and gives up eight runs an outing, you don't have him on the roster for the whole two months.

PatsNats28 · « **Reply #19:** August 13, 2009, 06:58:57 PM »

Quote from: blue911 on August 13, 2009, 02:38:00 PM

If John Smoltz is such a great mentor, why didn't Atlanta keep him? Why didn't Boston?

Because winning doesn't matter to us anymore... we can afford his sucktitude.

bklynnats · « **Reply #20:** August 19, 2009, 05:35:05 PM »

Smoltz agrees to a deal with the Cardinals.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AjLOFxoTd6jWhsRGvls0bBoRvLYF?slug=ap-cardinals-smoltz&prov=ap&type=lgns

Quote

ST. LOUIS (AP)—John Smoltz(notes) agreed to a deal with the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday, giving the 42-year-old former ace a chance to rejuvenate his career in the middle of a pennant race.

Smoltz joined the NL Central leaders shortly after he cleared waivers, following his release by Boston. He was 2-5 with an 8.33 ERA in eight starts for the Red Sox.

General manager John Mozeliak said Smoltz would likely start Sunday at San Diego, and would probably get at least a few turns in the rotation. The GM said Smoltz didn’t ask to start as a “negotiating ploy.”

“He had very little demands,” Mozeliak said on a conference call. “He had no demands. From everything he had heard about this club, he was excited to take this opportunity. The reason for the start was just to get him work and know what we have.”

The Cardinals hope Smoltz can either fill a void as the fifth starter or provide right-handed relief in the bullpen. Detroit, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas and Florida also were said to be interested in signing the longtime Atlanta star.

“We feel that this is an opportunity to strengthen our pitching staff,” Mozeliak said in an earlier statement. “When you have an opportunity to bring the expertise and experience of a future Hall of Famer to your club, it’s easy to see why we are excited about the prospects of what John Smoltz can do to improve our team’s chances as we approach the stretch drive.”

One of the best big-game pitchers of his era, Smoltz is expected to join the team Thursday when St. Louis plays at San Diego. The former Cy Young winner is the latest high-profile acquisition—with Matt Holliday(notes)—in a makeover that helped the Cardinals stretch their division lead to six games over Chicago.

The risk for the Cardinals is small—Boston is responsible for the bulk of the contract. St. Louis is on the hook only for a prorated share of the major league minimum, about $100,000 through the rest of the season.

The Cardinals lobbied Smoltz with telephone calls from manager Tony La Russa, pitching coach Dave Duncan and infielder Mark DeRosa(notes), a former teammate in Atlanta.

“These situations are unique because the players out there, you’re not really negotiating a salary,” Mozeliak said. “What you’re trying to do is figure out how a player is going to fit in.” ...

mitlen · « **Reply #21:** September 07, 2009, 08:40:17 PM »

Quote from: hammondsnats on August 12, 2009, 03:39:41 PM

He says he isn't going to accept a minor league assignment ... wonder who will pick him up?

Would any of you want him as a fifth starter?

We don't need him. We already have five fifth starters.

tomterp · « **Reply #22:** September 07, 2009, 09:03:34 PM »

Quote from: mitlen on September 07, 2009, 08:40:17 PM

We don't need him. We already have five fifth starters.

Um, I think the Cardinals picked him up weeks ago. Nothing like resurrecting old threads.....

mitlen · « **Reply #23:** September 08, 2009, 08:40:04 AM »

Quote from: tomterp on September 07, 2009, 09:03:34 PM

Um, I think the Cardinals picked him up weeks ago. Nothing like resurrecting old threads.....

Pretty sad, ain't it ? When I read this, I thought he had been cut loose again. Then it all came back to me when I looked at the dates of the previous posts. All I can say TT is, "Don't get old." Now, where did I put my keys ?

The Chief · « **Reply #24:** September 08, 2009, 08:53:39 AM »

Updated thread title for accuracy, locking thread as it is out of date.