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John Smoltz

Let's suppose that

1. Boston releases him rather than trades him.

2. Smoltz is willing to go into the bullpen.

 

Would it be reasonable for the Rays to sign him?

We know how terrible many of his numbers are. He has been brutal against lefties although pretty effective vs. righties. He has given up a ton of home runs.

On the other hand, he still strikes out a fair number of batters and walks relatively few. From what I have read, he apparently still has good stuff. His command may be off, which may be a sign that he is done at his age, but is it also possible that it is a function of being a starter and needing to pace himself?

As a matter of fact, the first time through the lineup his stats look pretty good. Each subsequent time they get worse and worse. I suppose I am grasping at straws, but he has actually been pretty good in his first two innings. (Well, not exactly. He has allowed 5 runs in the first inning over his 8 starts, but 4 were in his first start of the year. His second innings have been brilliant. It goes downhill after that.)

Would he be an improvement over Bennett? And might his signing please those who think the Rays could use a veteran with a winning tradition on the team-and perhaps really have some effect, however small, in that regard?

There are a lot of "ifs" involved. It may be pie in the sky anyway (or arsenic in the sky perhaps), but I wonder if it is worth consideration. I don't think the bullpen is the primary concern, but anything that upgrades anywhere and costs nothing seems worthwhile.

0 recs  |  Comment 15 comments

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Prior to his last start

His tRA and FIP were pretty well off. His home run rate is due for some regression too.

Assuming it’s ~minimum, I wouldn’t mind it.

by R.J. Anderson on Aug 13, 2009 12:40 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

I am very in favor of it.

I doubt he would be OK with a move back to the bulppen, though. I think it hurts his arm more there. I imagine Boston would put him the bullpen if he was willing.

by rglass44 on Aug 13, 2009 12:41 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

bobr

Loved your comment in that Posnanski post. Good stuff.

The girls left. According to one patron, Hamilton, piss-drunk by that point, asked the manager where he could buy blow. The manager didn't know. "Let's go to a strip club," Hamilton said. Someone drove Hamilton to Les Girls in Phoenix, Arizona.

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Aug 13, 2009 12:59 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Thank you.

Are you referring to the link to fangraphs regarding Rios’s contract?

by bobr on Aug 13, 2009 4:29 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Yeah,

I love Poz, but that list seemed to be context-free

The girls left. According to one patron, Hamilton, piss-drunk by that point, asked the manager where he could buy blow. The manager didn't know. "Let's go to a strip club," Hamilton said. Someone drove Hamilton to Les Girls in Phoenix, Arizona.

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Aug 13, 2009 5:25 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I think he is terrific too,

and after a few posters criticized his choice of Rios he did move him down the list, albeit still on it.

But I have been critical of him at least 3 times when he has discussed the Rays although he has often been very complimentary. In all 3 cases it seemed to me he either was ill-informed or was ignoring context-or both. It doesn’t change my opinion that he is perhaps the best baseball writer in the mainstream, and I suppose we have to expect writers as prolific as he is and outside this area to get some things wrong.

by bobr on Aug 13, 2009 5:31 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Guy doesn't even have working testicles

The girls left. According to one patron, Hamilton, piss-drunk by that point, asked the manager where he could buy blow. The manager didn't know. "Let's go to a strip club," Hamilton said. Someone drove Hamilton to Les Girls in Phoenix, Arizona.

by Top Gun Numba 1 on Aug 14, 2009 12:15 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Assuming he comes for the pro-rated minimum

I don’t see why not. Id think he’d be more effective than Jeff Bennett as a reliever, but unsure if he’ll be open to the bullpen.

www.draysbay.com

by Tommy Rancel on Aug 13, 2009 1:38 PM EDT via mobile reply actions   0 recs

I'll have the find the article

but he’s already said he’d be ok with a move to the bullpen for the right team. Boston was paying him a lot of money, so i doubt they’d be ok with moving him to the bullpen.

Plus he was making what, 35K per day he was on the active roster?

by chancedj on Aug 13, 2009 4:50 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Yep, insane.

We also can’t really afford the roster spot at the moment:

  • Bard’s better and could use some more time in the majors before the playoff rosters are set.
  • Saito would have to be waived, and we couldn’t get him back if Smoltz sucked.
  • MDC’s in the same boat as Saito, IIRC, and he’s still got some potential.
  • FCab’s holding a roster spot for Wake, who would likely push Taz, Buch, or Penny to the pen.

by bs.uf15bosox9bears23 on Aug 13, 2009 5:29 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Help me out here

1. MDC? IIRC?
2. FCab? Taz?

Duemig is alive, NOT FOR LONG though....

by Some other guy who does not care on Aug 13, 2009 7:44 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Delcarmen, if I recall correctly

Fernando Cabrera, Junichi Tazawa.

by R.J. Anderson on Aug 13, 2009 8:29 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I feel there would be pressure to thrust him into a role he doesn't deserve/shouldn't have

I’d still rather see Howell/Wheeler/Springer/Balfour/Cormier ahead of him. Smoltz + Choate > Bennett + Choate + Shouse, so, if thats the case, I’m fine with it; however, we should know we’d be paying for 20 innings probably and who knows how much better that is over Bennett in the same amount of time.

by Navi's_Navy on Aug 14, 2009 10:18 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

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