Tazawa up; Traber down; Woodward claimed; Smoltz DFA'd

[a700hitter]

The Rangers?

 

Seriously?

I hope the rangers sign him to pitch this weekend.

[CrespoBlows]

I hope the rangers sign him to pitch this weekend.

 

I hope so. He generated just two swing and misses against the Yankees on 90 pitches.

 

He's finished.

[Dipre]

I hope the rangers sign him to pitch this weekend.

 

I was just thinking the same thing. :D:D

[TheKilo]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9922760/Sources:-Smoltz-refuses-minors;-two-options-left

 

Smoltz refuses MiLB assignment.

 

Thanks for nothing, John.

[redsoxrules]

I hope so. He generated just two swing and misses against the Yankees on 90 pitches.

 

He's finished.

 

Is that for real ? or are you exagerating there

[CrespoBlows]

Is that for real ? or are you exagerating there

 

No, I was actually being a little nice.

 

Against the Yankees on Thursday night he got just two swinging strikes on 92 pitches.

[v2freak]

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/9922760/Sources:-Smoltz-refuses-minors;-two-options-left

 

Smoltz refuses MiLB assignment.

 

Thanks for nothing, John.

 

He must not be as "pretty humbled" as he thinks if he's refusing to get things worked out against easier hitters.

[jacksonianmarch]

well, he is getting interest from major league clubs

[BoSox21]

He did fine in the minors during his rehab stint, those guys can't touch his slider no matter how s***** his fastball is. If he thinks he can get another job in the majors, more power to him.

[Dipre]

well' date=' he is getting interest from major league clubs[/quote']

 

He should.

 

He's shown the ability to handle ML pitching before, and he makes the phrase "positional flexibility" sound like an understatement.

 

I thought you were talking about Bill Hall jacko, i seem to have mixed the threads.

[a700hitter]

Screw Smoltz. He gets paid $5.5 million to get himself in shape for more than the first half of the season, and then he blows the team apart with his consistently bad performance. Now, he refuses the teams request to accept a minor league assignment and to consider helping out of the bullpen. How come respect for players always means $ and there is never any respect going back in the other direction. I guess he figures that he owes the team nothing for it patience and coddling. What a waste. So much for the great professionalism of John Smoltz that we read and heard about so much. He's as big a diva as anyone else.

[ms_sox]

I respect Smoltz's career, but in this case, w/the info currently available, I have to agree with a700.

 

Too much pride, Smoltz, too much greed.

[CrespoBlows]

Like the Youkilis fiasco, this is another one of those gray area situations. Would any of us be in the position to turn down the millions of incentives that Smoltz would receive if he pitches for another team? Would we turn down the $5.5 we were guaranteed to pitch for the Pawtucket Red Sox?

[a700hitter]

Like the Youkilis fiasco' date=' this is another one of those gray area situations. Would any of us be in the position to turn down the millions of incentives that Smoltz would receive if he pitches for another team? Would we turn down the $5.5 we were guaranteed to pitch for the Pawtucket Red Sox?[/quote']Unless he gets extra money for innings of suck, he can forget about hitting incentives. He's just going to embarrass himself. Pedro just got out of the first with a k at 92 mph.

[Dipre]

Like the Youkilis fiasco' date=' this is another one of those gray area situations. Would any of us be in the position to turn down the millions of incentives that Smoltz would receive if he pitches for another team? Would we turn down the $5.5 we were guaranteed to pitch for the Pawtucket Red Sox?[/quote']

 

I'd like to say yes, but i'd be lying out of my teeth.

[BoSox21]

who the f*** are we to tell John f***ing Smoltz which way to take his career?

 

The FO took a flyer on him and it failed. He doesn't owe the organization s*** by allowing them to put him in Pawtucket to rot for the rest of the year.

[SoxSport]

The kid looked really good. I'm all for keeping him up.

 

Maybe better than Buchholz and his 2.0 WHIP. LOL.

[a700hitter]

who the f*** are we to tell John f***ing Smoltz which way to take his career?

 

The FO took a flyer on him and it failed. He doesn't owe the organization s*** by allowing them to put him in Pawtucket to rot for the rest of the year.

No one is telling Smoltz what to do. I want him as far as possible from the organization. I was offering a commentary on the hypocrisy of players like Smoltz. He was insulted by the Braves offer of $1 million which he considered insulting and disrespectful due to everything he had done for the organization, including cashing their inflated checks while he was on the DL. Boston showed him the appropriate respect on his terms. He sucked and didn't deserve to be in the rotation. They cut him, asked him to go to the minors and think about working out of the bullpen. He told them to stuff it after he had been a huge negative for this team. The point is that with these hypocritical divas the respect and honor travels only in one direction. I don't think anyone wants him to stay. He sucks, but he is a big diva with a huge ego.

[TheKilo]

Fantastic post, a700.

 

This is is someone who had made millions of millions of dollars in his career who was godawful over eight starts for the Red Sox this season (BBRef has him at over $130 million for his career).

 

However, rather than simply releasing him, the Sox aregiving him an option to play a different role with a championship-contending team. And he's declining. For what? The money?

 

Give me a break. Good riddance.

[v2freak]

Fantastic post, a700.

 

This is is someone who had made millions of millions of dollars in his career who was godawful over eight starts for the Red Sox this season (BBRef has him at over $130 million for his career).

 

However, rather than simply releasing him, the Sox aregiving him an option to play a different role with a championship-contending team. And he's declining. For what? The money?

 

Give me a break. Good riddance.

 

To be fair, he did have one good start. He threw 4 innings and only gave up a run I believe, before the rain started. Can you imagine if it hadn't rained and Smoltz had pitched a quality start in one of his earlier outings? Things might be different. The whole thing is sad.

[SoxSport]

I read this morning Smoltz refused a bullpen assignment. ?? Was that in his contract? For $5 million, they have to start the guy, or nothing? I find that hard to believe. If he refused a BP assignment in Boston, how can he take one in St Louis, which is considering him for the BP? Maybe a case of muddled media.

 

I don't know what's in Smoltz's contract, but I doubt the Red Sox would go that far in terms of restricting his role--especially with his closer experience. I think the Sox would be better off working their starters in through the bullpen, anyways. Make them earn a starting role.

[BSN07]

Smoltz is just making sure he ends up back in the NL. I figure he probably wants a crack at starting there before heading to the BP.

[SoxSport]

Smoltz is just making sure he ends up back in the NL. I figure he probably wants a crack at starting there before heading to the BP.

 

Hey John, no bullpen in Boston, no pay in Boston.

[Spudboy]

Hey John' date=' no bullpen in Boston, no pay in Boston.[/quote']

 

I believe the Sox are on the hook for the balance of his $5. mil. contract. If he signs somewhere else the new team only has to pay the Vet. minimum. Just like Lugo.

[jsc1973]

I hope the rangers sign him to pitch this weekend.

 

We could only be that lucky...of course, the Strangers would probably be smart enough to use him in relief.

[SoxSport]

The story on Smoltz I'm getting now is the Sox wanted him to go to the minors and come back as a reliever. Smoltz refused to go to the minors (understandable), but it isn't clear he refused to go to the bullpen. I don't know why a pitcher like Smoltz would need to go to the minors first to be a reliever. He's a former all-star closer. Makes no sense.

 

I think he can be effective coming out of the bullpen for an inning or two, off what he has shown as a starter, and if he comes out of the bullpen for another team at the Sox expense, they have missed the boat.

[v2freak]

That's right. He usually pitched well for 3-4 innings and then gave up 6 home runs in a row. He could be good relief in limited use and not in really close games.

[SoxSport]

That's right. He usually pitched well for 3-4 innings and then gave up 6 home runs in a row. He could be good relief in limited use and not in really close games.

 

The Sox seem to have a mindset about relievers being relievers and starters being starters.

The exception was Masterson. I hope that isn't true for their other younger pitchers.

[a700hitter]

Did Woodward get even 1 hit while he was with the team?

[Cocos Disciples]

No, but he got hit twice. So that's helpful.