Smoltz Signs With Braves Today 3/30mil

This is obviously where his heart is. I am glad it worked out for him.


Smoltz agrees to three-year pact with Braves
Former starter will close games for Atlanta
Associated Press

ATLANTA (AP) -- John Smoltz, who thrived with Atlanta after being moved to the bullpen, agreed to a three-year contract with the Braves on Sunday.


The free agent pitcher was courted by several teams to resume his former role as a starter. He decided to stay with the Braves, who wanted him to remain a closer after he saved 10 games in 11 chances this past season.

Smoltz has spent his entire 14-year career with the Braves. He won the Cy Young Award in 1996.

The three-year contract includes a team option for a fourth year, the Braves said. ESPN.com and WXIA-TV in Atlanta reported that Smoltz would receive $10 million a year for three seasons, with a $12 million option.

"We saw last year how dominant he could be in that role as closer, how well it sets up our whole pitching staff," General Manager John Schuerholz said. "He made our entire pitching staff far more effective than it's ever been, I think, from the starters through the relievers."

The 34-year-old Smoltz missed all of the 2000 season following elbow surgery and tried to come back as a starter. When his recovery didn't go as well, he moved to the bullpen in late July as a last resort.

Smoltz was dominating as the closer, helping the Braves win their ninth straight division title. He saved two more games in the playoffs against Houston before the Braves were beaten by Arizona in the NL championship series.

"This is a real important piece for a club that focuses on pitching as its primary asset," Schuerholz said. "To have a closer of his caliber available for three years is very, very comforting."

Smoltz was among 13 Atlanta players who filed for free agency, but clearly the top priority. The agents for catcher Javy Lopez and All-Star pitcher John Burkett have both indicated that their clients could be playing elsewhere next season.

The team and Smoltz's representatives met Friday and Saturday before agreeing to a deal Sunday afternoon by telephone.

Smoltz wasn't immediately available for comment. He left Sunday for a weeklong trip to Las Vegas.

"He hit it big without going to the casino," Schuerholz quipped.

Smoltz felt his elbow was strong enough to return to a starting rotation. The Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees were among the teams interested in signing him for that role.

The Braves never gave Smoltz that option.

"We talked entirely and exclusively about John being our closer," Schuerholz said. "That's what we thought he was best as. We think he could be a dominant pitcher in that role for a long, long time."

Smoltz has undergone three surgeries on his elbow, including the dreaded "Tommy John" procedure to replace a ligament in 2000.

"This provides him and us with some comfort in protecting his arm for a longer period of time," Schuerholz said. "I think John feels so good about his elbow and so good about his physical condition that he could start without any problems. We always felt more comfortable that this role (as closer) was a really, really appropriate one and one he could flourish in."

Smoltz was exclusively a starter until this past season. His career record is 160-116 with a 3.35 ERA, including a career-high 24 wins in 1996.

In 2001, Smoltz was 2-2 with a 5.76 ERA as a starter, including two stints on the disabled list. He went 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA out of the bullpen.

The Braves had a homefield advantage in negotiations.

While Smoltz is a Michigan native, he lives year-round in Atlanta and is active in the community. He made it clear all along that he wouldn't move his home even if he changed teams.

"I'm far from done," he said a couple of weeks ago. "I can do a lot of things. I feel I can win 20 games next year, or save 50."

I'm glad that for baseball and for Smoltz he signed. I hate seeing people just being picked up that quickly, though FA is the lifeblood of the industry, however harsh the system works (teams even having to bid for their own former farmhands brought up).

From a Yankee perspective, I think that his elbow might've been questionable after the operation, but he was highly effective. I'm also glad that someone didn't throw excess money at him like George did (he signed f/$13M per, not $10M per).

Hopefully, I'll read the names "Izzy" and "Cedeno" in the Times, Post and News, but w/less $ being thrown about.

[Skipper Steve]

Eck closed for 10 years after making the switch. I still feel that Smoltz will end up more like Tom Gordon than Eck.

[willyg]

I do not understand how John Smoltz gets paid more to close than Mariano Rivera.

That being said, I think Smoltz will be an excellent closer. I agree with him, I could see him saving 40-50 games next year.

It's called signing at a later time. Mariano lost an arbitration and inked after 1999 or 2000 season so that's it. When his number comes up, he'll probably ask f/much more.

SPs make more $ than RPs but the article in 1st post says ATL wants him to close. George threw $3M more at him to start, which leads me to believe Smoltz may never have wanted to leave ATL in the first place. It seems like the NYY were used for leverage against ATL as a bargaining chip. In the end, he got some serious money too.

Probably not much differen than how NYM's setup man Franco went to Phils and said he'd take closer job, looked like he was all set to sign until NYM gave him about $10.5M over 3 years. Had George not been so dogonned guillible, he might not have done this, letting Jason's people salivate about more $ and don't think they weren't watching that offer in the process.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Good for Smoltz and good for the Braves. There are a few willing to show some team loyalty. That is refreshing.

[Skipper Steve]

Originally posted by BuzzBuzzard
There are a few willing to show some team loyalty. That is refreshing.

Tell it to Benny when he's eating raw fish seven days a week.

Players should do what's right for them - because the owners sure will.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Originally posted by Skipper Steve
Players should do what's right for them - because the owners sure will.

So you are disappointed in Smoltz's decision?

[Duque]

If I were a Braves fan, I'd be worried about how much this ties up payroll for going out and getting a hitter. AOL has kinda put the rein on things.

[Skipper Steve]

Originally posted by BuzzBuzzard
So you are disappointed in Smoltz's decision?

Heck no, he did what he wanted to do - - my point was that he should not have felt that he owed the Braves anything.

[mainsr]

You go, Skip, you rugged capitalist, you!

Let me be the dissenter - if I were the Braves, I'd be much more worried about finding some guys who can hit a baseball with a piece of liumber than re-signing aging pitchers with a questionable health record. If willyg is correct, and there are limits to the amount of money Ted Turner will spend, the Braves would've been much better off trying to get a non-joke 1B and LF than signing Smoltz. Relievers are way overrated. (If, on the other hand, they sign Giambi and Bonds, ignore what I just said.)

[Skipper Steve]

Look at the history of "great" Braves closers:

Mark Wohlers
John Rocker
Kerry Ligtenberg
Gene Garber
Mike Stanton
Cecil Upshaw

I think that's the reason they went "purse strings off" on Smoltzie - - - at least the fans can't say they never had a quality guy at the end of the game and that's the reason why they never win it all.

With Spooneybarger, they could have what the Yankees had in 1996, in terms of closing games out.

[BuzzBuzzard]

Smoltz was fantastic out of the pen last year once he came back, as good as anyone else in MLB (yes, including Mariano). He's got some work to do in terms of demonstrating that type performance over a longer stretch, but I think it was money well spent.

[SmedIndy]

Originally posted by Skipper Steve
Look at the history of "great" Braves closers:

Mark Wohlers
John Rocker
Kerry Ligtenberg
Gene Garber
Mike Stanton
Cecil Upshaw

I think that's the reason they went "purse strings off" on Smoltzie - - - at least the fans can't say they never had a quality guy at the end of the game and that's the reason why they never win it all.

Ligtenberg was pretty darn effective last year, even though Smoltz got the glory at the end. Upshaw was in a different era but he did well for a few years. Garber was always underrated.

Closing is non-sensical anyway because the managers today use their supposedly best relievers in the most limiting fashion and when the game is least likely on the line.

I think it's nice Smoltz was rewarded for being a soldier, but if they have someone come up lacking in the rotation he'll be right there again.

[Skipper Steve]

The worse thing they could do is have him go through ST as the closer and then ask him him to start during the season. I can hear the elbow falling off from here.