How about bringing Smoltz back?
by jvvenez on Feb 12, 2010 1:01 PM EST
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I read that Smoltz would like to come back to the Braves. I know that he is not the same player he used to be but he proved to be effective last year with the Cardinals and could be a good set up guy.
I don't think we should pick him up to start the season but as the season progress and injuries will happen then we can sign him if he is still available and if the price is right.
I know there is a little of nostalgia on my reasons for wanting him back but I also think he could help and it would be nice to have him play his last season as a Brave. What do YOU think?
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Wait, wait you really want to know MY opinion?
A resounding, ‘Meh.’
Oh and anyone else have the feeling that the rosterbation threads need to be opened back up.
by McCann and McWill on Feb 12, 2010 1:12 PM EST reply actions
+1 on the rosterbation
can we please stuff all the damon stuff in there too?
"If I have asthma, they won't let me scuba. And if I can’t scuba, then what’s this all been about?? What am I working toward??"
Don't need politics...
His stuff isn’t good enough anymore on a consistent enough basis to justify his locker room politicking.
We made a nice transition to the McCann leadership, and I’d like that not to be undermined by a guy who probably arrogantly thinks he’s better than guys in our rotation or deserving of a prominent role like Closer.
Smoltz threw the Braves under the bus for making a good decision. He didn’t deserve a guarantee…SORRY! And when it came out that the money was there if he could hit his incentives, he still postured like the deal was for less.
IF….IF…we have a serious injury and he’s still there, i might reconsider…until then, he can wait patiently
His peripherals were great last year. He was about as unlucky as it’s possible to be.
That said, I don’t want another Glavine situation-we’ve got 6 pitchers, and it’s possible he’d be less effective than all others, so we’d end up releasing him and generating even more bad PR.
I hope he pitches this year, and it’s anywhere besides New York or Philadelphia, and I hope he does really well. I think he can.
I agree with you on some points...
He does have a big ego but most great players need to have it to be able to perform at this level (have to believe you are great to play that way). But I don’t think that would ruin the chemistry on the clubhouse.
I agree with you that he didn’t do us any favors last year but we can approach him and “test the waters” and if he has the same actitude then we leave him alone.
But for the right price then I would love to have him back.
I used undermine, not ruin....
I want all eyes looking to McCann, Huddy, Chip…..they are the present and future pulse of the club.
A guy who ran the kangaroo court and dominated the clubhouse just being there is an influence in itself…not saying he’d command the role, but being that he’s been the most powerful personality in the room, it’d be hard for him to not assume it.
I don’t think he could sublimate himself to a mop-up role or anything less than a top 3 starter in a rotation. His frustration would be palpable.
Furthermore, the reporters will flock to him, so the soundbites you’ll get will all lead with Smoltz….it’s just not the direction i want the team to go.
It’s been hard for us to free ourselves from the past (14 divs, 3 headed monster, Cox, Shuerholz, etc…) I daresay it’s retarded our rebuilding process by at least a year.
No need to dive back into those waters.
Put it this way...
I’d rather have Maddux as a spring training instructor than a full regular season of pitching out of Smoltz.
Let him go play golf…line it up for the Senior Tour.
If he makes a public apology and is willing to accept a BP role (not closer), and if he is willing to sign for less than $2M total, I am on board.
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 12, 2010 1:28 PM EST reply actions
A public apology for what?
I thought this was hashed out in another thread and I don’t recall anything particularly brutal that he said. The reason he signed with the Sox is that they could afford to guarantee money to a pitcher who everyone knew would be out until June. We couldn’t afford that, so we made a silly offer that looked competitive only by including incentives for games started or innings pitched (I forget which) which were completely illusory because he could never reach them since he was going to be out until June.
Smoltz speaking on the Glavine situation:
Did Smoltz speak with Glavine after the news broke?
“I did [talk to him],” Smoltz said. “Like a lot of things lately, they handled it, let me just say, in a very interesting way. One that leaves you scratching your head. It’s unfortunate for Tommy. Obviously, you know, I’m using a very soft word of disappointed because that ain’t right. To go that far and to rehab and then right before the time, you know, do that. That’s not my problem anymore. I just feel bad for a teammate of mine that I had for a long time.”
Was the move financially motivated?
“I know too much,” Smoltz said. “Let’s just put it that way.”
Smoltz appeared to be as upset at the Braves over this, as he was back in January, when he signed with the Red Sox after getting what he felt was a low-ball offer from his former employers.
The righty seemed sincerly stung by what happened to Glavine.
“That’s just not how you treat people. He didn’t have a chance to fail at that level, if that was the issue or concern,” Smoltz said. “It’s just not how you go about it. They’re in control and they made those decisions. They’ve made a lot of them lately.”
On the situation in general, Smoltz said, “They’re going to go on and Tommy’s going to go on and do whatever he decides to do. It’s just too bad for a guy that, first time working his way back, and then pitched fairly well. To talk about his velocity is kind of funny. No one has ever talked about his velocity before.”
I can’t find the exact quote, but I remember him talking about how the club wasn’t loyal to its players too.
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 12, 2010 2:34 PM EST up reply actions
I don't see anything in what you posted that...
…would require a public apology. He felt bad for his long-time friend getting a bit of the shaft—-Glavine did all the rehab and then got released. It sucked for Tommy. But that’s how baseball is nowadays. I don’t think Smoltz should apologize for not liking it.
Smoltz in the FO
would allow him to have some say in how these situations are handled and I think would be a great benefit to the reputation of the Braves’ as a player’s organization. As a player, however, I don’t think the Braves org. has anything left to offer Smoltz except nostalgia (and vice versa). I don’t think that will be enough for him to take a supporting role in the bullpen, and I don’t blame him. As for the transgressions the FO has made w/ regards to Glavine and Smoltz’ careers, I have to side with the pitchers. I agree that they should have both been let go, but it was not only handled poorly, but deceitfully, with only PR in mind and without concern for honoring the legacy of these Braves legends.
I am interested to see what happens with Heyward this spring in the same regard. If he lights it up and still doesn’t make an appearance until June, it will be another disappointment from what has traditionally been known as a class organization.
Nothing specifically in there (other than he was insinuating that the Braves cut Glav due to money, that they cut him in a mysterious way, and that he was still bitter about the fact that they cut him…oh wait, he left for more money – yet he still blames the FO.
He also basically accuses the org of lying about their reasons for cutting Glavine.
To sum it up, he owes an apology for bad-mouthing an organization that bent over backwards to accomodate him when he was a player here.
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 12, 2010 5:21 PM EST up reply actions
Smoltz
Sounded like a guy that expects things his way all the time, but not really worthy of a public apology.
So perhaps, instead of the word “apology” I should have said “If he is willing to take back all the negative, arrogant things he said”
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 12, 2010 6:24 PM EST up reply actions
Or posters on messages boards and GM's should...
…one or the other.
So he owes them an apology for … Not liking the way they treated his friend, and daring to say so in the press?
Yeah, ’cause they were totally unloyal to Glavine.
"My team of nine guys who hit like Albert Pujols and never ever bunt just beat your team with one Shane Victorino 472 to 3."
by justincredubil02 on Feb 13, 2010 12:12 AM EST up reply actions
Calero >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Smoltz
Not that we really need more RHRP but Calero is nasty and it certainly wouldn’t hurt to at least throw an offer at that guy and see what happens.
Q: If on-base pct is so important then why don't they put it on the scoreboard? -Failcoeur
A: Because the Braves don't want to show their fans how bad you suck.
Calero > Smoltz >>>>> Damon
… but that’s just because I can’t seem to make a comment lately without bashing JD. I do think, however, that there’s value in having vets like Smoltz on the bench to talk pitching with the kids. My question is whether Huddy & Lowe can already provide that kind of leadership.
it would be nice to have someone who has a different approach to pitching than Lowe/Hudson…since they both work off a sinking fastball..thats not necessarily helpful for guys like KK (who is a vet in his own right) and Hanson…JJ uses the same type of pitches as Lowe/Hudson so thats helpful….but Hanson is a completely different pitcher…Im not advocating signing Smoltz, per se but there is some value to have a veteran (who can still produce quality innings, which is most important) on your team.
Heyward,Hanson,and Shaffer r ready now!! Why do you think they havent signed the "right handed bat"?
by fatazfoot on Jan 7, 2009 8:59 PM EST
Wait you want to bring him back to play?
Thought this was a ’Let’s do this with Smoltz if we’re gonna do it with Glavine’ post.
Eh...
Smoltz will want more money than he’s worth, plus I don’t think Smoltz is good enough anymore to be anything but a 7th inning guy.
"Sometimes I wonder what'd it be like to be outside and not hear the birds chirping...I think it'd be kind of nice."
by alligatorimpersonator on Feb 13, 2010 7:01 PM EST reply actions
I think he could be an effective reliever.
But I think both sides might have to swallow their pride before he came back. I can understand why he feels upset about the way he was treated, and why he feels for Glavine too. I don’t think he should apologize for anything—we took him for granted and acted like he would play for us no matter what, and money aside, the timing of the Glavine situation was a little weird.
The main problem is that we’d pay him less than he could probably get elsewhere, and we don’t really have a spot for him.
"Baseball is the only major sport that appears backwards in a mirror." ~George Carlin
by FineHamAbounds on Feb 13, 2010 10:26 PM EST reply actions
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