Originally Posted by
RotoWorld
According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, John Smoltz "will accept the Cardinals' offer to join the club as its fifth starter after clearing waivers at noon" Wednesday.
Because he was released by Boston earlier this week St. Louis will be on the hook for just a prorated share of the minimum salary, which is about $100,000. The newspaper notes that Smoltz's time in the Cardinals' rotation may be temporary and speculates that he could eventually be a setup man for closer Ryan Franklin. Todd Wellemeyer, Brad Thompson, P.J. Walters and Mitchell Boggs are the other fifth-starter candidates, and have gone 10-15 with a 5.45 ERA this season.
The St. Louis Post Dispatch reports that the Cardinals and John Smoltz have reached an agreement on a deal.
The Cardinals are expected to give Smoltz a chance to start, and hopefully the NL will be more friendly to his statistical production -- the future Hall of Famer had an 8.33 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 40 innings for the Red Sox this season. Given his credentials and the chance that he'll find a groove once he compiles more innings, Smoltz is worth a high waiver claim in NL-only leagues.
Cardinals signed free agent RHP John Smoltz.
He could eventually join the Cardinals' bullpen, but the immediate plan is for Smoltz to get a chance to start. Since he's moving from the AL East to the NL Central, he's worth adding in NL-only leagues and should be monitored in mixed leagues. The 42-year-old has an 8.33 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 40 innings this season, but also sports an encouraging 33/9 K/BB ratio and could be a fantasy asset down the stretch.
John Smoltz will likely start on Sunday against the Padres, according to Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak.
Because he's moving from the AL East to the NL Central, Smoltz is worth adding in NL-only leagues and should be monitored in mixed leagues. Smoltz had an 8.33 ERA and 1.70 WHIP in 40 innings for the Red Sox this season. But he also produced an encouraging 33/9 K/BB ratio, which could portend a turnaround down the stretch.