In June, John Smoltz underwent surgery to fix his injured shoulder. The surgery required extensive rest and rehab which has kept him out of work since. Then again, it doesn’t mean the 41 year old could be out of baseball for good. In fact, with all of the work that he’s been doing to get himself back into pitching shape, Smoltz has suggested that if feels he’s in a position to pitch, he’ll pitch. Of course he won’t necessarily be doing it in Atlanta. In an interview posted on Atlanta Magazine’s website the hurler made that point clear.
“I say this for the first time, without reservation, if I’m going to bust my butt and if I feel like I’m good enough and it doesn’t work out here, I will be pitching somewhere else … My dream scenario would be to pitch in the playoffs again, and that’s coming from a guy who’s been in 13 of them. (Smoltz missed the 2000 playoffs with Tommy John surgery.) To me, that’s what I’m about. So if the door gets closed here, it’ll have to be explored somewhere else.”Come again?
“Make no mistake,” he said a few minutes later. “I am absolutely, 100 percent committed to playing the rest of my career for the Atlanta Braves. But this can’t be my only option … I may not be in the [Braves’] plans. It’s no given right, where I’ve spent 21 years here and [so] they owe me whatever I want.”No! No! No! No! NO! I went through this once with Tom Glavine leaving the Braves, I’m not doing it with Smoltzie. I swear I must have some special gene these days that causes my favorite players to flea their respective teams only to find themselves in the arms of another franchise. Going back to 2002, it was Glavine leaving the Braves and landing with the Mets. (Of all teams!) More recently it’s been Aaron Rowand who went from the Phillies to the Giants (Photo Day was not the same this year), then it was the Rangers Sean Avery who signed with the Stars and finally it was Jeremy Shockey who was traded from the Giants to the Saints. I don’t know if I can handle a John Smoltz departure.
So here's what I think: Give him the money and a year’s contract! He’s given Atlanta 20 years and let’s be honest; the Braves are so going to be outbid on many of the top named free agent pitchers. (Sabathia anyone?) Why spend too much money on someone who’s going to fall a part when you can spend it on Smoltz? Frankly, there are a lot of pieces missing, so it's not like paying for an extra arm is going to be the reason why the Braves miss the playoffs in 2009.
Ok Smoltz, now that I've given you my stamp of approval for staying with the Braves, how flexible are you on the whole going to the playoffs next year? Do you think you're arm could hold on for a couple more years? Like Jamie Moyer type years?
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