Smoltz a Red Sox…Gilly a Phillie?

Reports are surfacing that Braves veteran right hander John Smoltz is on the verge of signing a one year, $5.5 million contract with the Boston Red Sox that could be worth up to $10.5 million with incentives. If the signing becomes official, Smoltz would join a rotation that already includes Josh Beckett, Dice-K, Jon Lester, Tim Wakefield and the newly signed Brad Penny. It would also end one of the longest tenures in major league baseball and would frankly break my heart.

What the frick is Wren doing in his little office? The Braves have $25 million to spend this offseason, that contract is like a drop in the bucket. And the fact that it would only be for one season allows the Braves the opportunity to use that money to upgrade their pitching in the 2009-10 offseason. On my count the Braves have three pitchers in their rotation, Jair Jurrjens, Jorge Campillo and Javier Vazquez. Add Charlie Morton and Tommy Hanson and I can totally see why the Braves didn’t need the use of a veteran pitcher like Smoltz that could serve as a second pitching coach by helping to mentor this young staff and teach them the ways of the organization. (Filled with obvious sarcasm if you couldn’t tell.) I bet Atlanta will end up with someone like Randy Wolf, because he's like the only big name pitcher still left on the open market - and I use the term big name loosely.

In other news, Marcus Giles signed a minor league deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. Giles could be a cheap replacement for all-star second baseman Chase Utley, who will miss the beginning part of the season recovering from offseason hip surgery. Since leaving the Braves after the 2006 season, Giles spent one season with the San Diego Padres where he was able to play with his older brother Brian before being released at the end of the season. He also was briefly with the Rockies in 2008. Best of luck Marcus!
(Photo: AP)