Ten Things to Watch For As Pitchers and Catchers Report

A-Rod cheated when? Tejada lied to who?? Alomar did what???!? Baseball's offseason has taken a turn for the worse and the wacky this week. Luckily for us fans, the offseason is finally over.

This weekend MLB pitchers and catchers will report to spring training camps in Florida and Arizona. That means we've got CC Sabathia headed to Tampa for Yankees Camp, K-Rod to Port St. Lucie for the Mets, and Derek Lowe trucking to Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando. Yes after a relentless wave of one distressing news item after another, its good to start talking about something that matters - baseball.


So to help get you all excited about the upcoming season, let's run down 10 things to watch for (in no particular order) as batteries around the league begin to suit up:

1) Sabathia and Burnett in Pinstripes
The new-look Yankees rotation heads to Tampa hoping to prove they're worth the monster contracts. A year after injuries decimated their staff, the Yankees pin their playoff hopes on a younger, stronger core, as well as on the health of backstop Jorge Posada. With Abreu and Giambi removed from the middle of the order, the switch-hitting catcher will need to prove he's healthy for long haul.

2) Lowe, Vazquez and Kawakami in Atlanta
Speaking of injury-decimated staffs, the Braves will move on from Smoltz/Hudson/Glavine and start fresh with a trio of durable new arms. There's a chance they could come out of Spring Training with 7 or 8 potential starters, which would provide great relief to the bullpen. Set-up men Rafael Soriano and Peter Moylan are coming off major injuries, and closer Mike Gonzalez is less than two years removed from Tommy John surgery. A healthy bullpen could gloss over the likely lack of run support.

3) Old Closers in New Cities
Free agent departures such as K-Rod (NYM), Kerry Wood (CLE), Trevor Hoffman (MIL), Brian Fuentes (LAA) and Takashi Saito (BOS) means new roles for established set-up men around the league. How Carlos Marmol (CHC), Jonathan Broxton (LAD) and Heath Bell (SD) take to being the closer ought to heavily impact the playoffs hopes of their teams.

4) Jake Peavy Staying in San Diego?
Its been a couple of months since we last heard Jake Peavy's name associated with trade rumors, but as the seasons draws near its becoming more likely that if the Padres are still going to move him - its going to be soon. Possible trade partners Cubs and Braves appear to be set in their rotations now, leaving San Diego GM Kevin Towers with having to search for new suitors. Will Peavy be a Padre on opening day? Its likely. Will the trade talks impact his relationship with the ball club? It remains to be seen.

5) The Young Guns in Miami and Tampa
The two teams down in Florida will travel short distances this week to get to camp, bringing with them a cast of talented young pitchers. Tampa Bay will move David Price into the rotation alongside Kazmir, Shields and Garza. The Rays' front four might just be good enough to hang with any rotation in the league, including those highly paid Yankees. Meanwhile the Marlins' staff may not have the big names or national spotlight, but their front five could help them be the dark horse in the NL East. Ricky Nolasco, Josh Johnson, Andrew Miller, Chris Volstad and Anibal Sanchez are as green as can be, but all appear ready to make their mark in the bigs.

6) Rehab Projects in Boston
Rather than signing massive contracts like the Yankees, the Red Sox signed multiple players to smaller deals, banking on them to return from injury successfully. John Smoltz, Takashi Saito and Brad Penny join the pitching staff, and should they all be healthy by mid-season the Red Sox may as well throw out a six-man rotation and rotate closers between Jonathan Papelbon, Smotlz and Saito and save everyone's arms for the postseason. The best part of the signings is that the Red Sox have great pitching depth without the newcomers, putting little pressure on them to come out of Spring Training looking like spring chickens.

7) Three Cy Young's in San Francisco
The 'freak' Tim Lincecum will show up with his first Cy Young trophy this week. Meanwhile overpaid and over-the-hill Barry Zito will already be polishing his trophy, and newly signed Randy Johnson will lug his four trophies into the locker room. Suddenly the Giants have established winners in the rotation (not to mention young stud Matt Cain), its just too bad they wont be expecting Zito or Johnson to be on the pedestal again. Watch for the Big Unit's health as well as Zito's stuff, as getting a moderately productive season out of either of them is paramount to the Giants success this season.

8) Geovany Soto vs. The Sophomore Slump
The days of the one-year wonder Rookie of the Year are all but gone after a wave of superstars has flooded the league. Geovany Soto had a huge year for the Cubs, but fizzled out by September and limped into the playoffs. In his second season, Soto ought to be stronger and more prepared for the long haul, just as pitchers and scouts will be more prepared on how to attack the young backstop. A slight dropoff in production wouldn't hurt the loaded Cubs lineup too much, but keep an eye on Soto as he's expected to be a top-tier catcher for years to come.

9) Matt Wieters vs. The Hype
Last season the hype was on Soto, this season its on Matt Wieters. Pegged by scouts as a mix between Joe Mauer and Mark Teixeira, Wieters could be the savior for baseball in Baltimore. Fantasy players will be keeping a close eye on him throughout the spring, for sure, ensuring he makes enough of an impact to be a starter on day one. Veteran catcher Gregg Zaun was signed in the offseason, likely as insurance.

10) Ivan Rodriguez Faces Unemployment
Pudge is a first ballot Hall of Famer and the best catcher to play in our generation (if you take Piazza's defense into account) - so why hasn't anyone signed him? Many may cite he's over the hill or past his prime, but it seems like every new (and young) team he lands with instantly improves. He anchored the Marlins to a World Series title in 2003, and helped the Tigers win a pennant in 2006. My guess is that the Marlins would enjoy a reunion, letting Pudge work with their young arms is far from a bad idea (take note, Tampa Bay).

Also let's not forget that fellow first-ballot Hall of Famers Manny Ramirez and Ken Griffey Jr. have still yet to land anywhere. There are still deals to be made and rosters to be shuffled as the Spring Training schedule draws closer.
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Doesn't sit right.

In a story on MLB.com, Alden Gonzalez reports today that the Boston Red Sox may have some real decisions to make regarding the growing size of their pitching staff come mid-season, which could create a very troublesome scenario involving newly acquired ace John Smoltz.

Smoltz' athleticism, competitive drive and dogged determination likely put him in the position to be ready to pitch at full capacity when the All-Star break hits. He's always been a good pitcher in the regular season, and he's arguably the greatest post-season pitcher of all-time. It's why Theo Epstein put his faith in Atlanta's former horse and pinched a guaranteed $5.5 million out of his bottomless pockets for Smoltz, whether he throws a pitch or not. Boston is well-aware that, when it counts, there isn't a more trusted pitcher, young or old, than old number 29. And he is old—in baseball terms. But there's a short list of pitchers you'd want with the ball in October, and there his name is engraved. The legend alone is worth the money.

Having a quality pedigree as a professional athlete extends your career by seasons and lands you on better teams, teams who make lofty trades for one reason: to win. In light of the absence of a salary cap in Major League Baseball, there remain few teams with the resources and willingness to win at all costs. The Boston Red Sox is one. At the same time, we're all too familiar with their foil, their nemesis.

Call it a hunch. Call it a reason for indigestion worthy of medical care. Call it what it would be: typical and disgusting. But in the heat of a pennant race, an eastern division frenzy fueled by the competitive juices that surge through John Smoltz' veins and flow like the ink into the checkbooks of the baseball elite, it would not surprise me to hear the news of a last-minute addition to an already stacked roster wherein the New York Yankees acquire John Smoltz going into the 2009 post-season, likely the last shot our long-time ace-in-the-hole would have at winning the second championship ring he undoubtedly desires. Should Boston fade down the stretch, I wouldn't deny any possibility. I wouldn't blame Johnny for going either, but I'd likely throw up in my mouth a little.
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With a New Rotation, Smoltz's Departure All the More Puzzling

Last week John Smoltz signed with the Boston Red Sox. He held a press conference yesterday, where he was introduced to the Red Sox Nation. He donned a Red Sox cap and jersey. He also attended a Celtics game, where he was announced as the newest Red Sox pitcher.

John Smoltz. Red Sox. Sounds verrrrry strange. Seeing him in that cap. Horribly strange. Horrific even. Drives a man to do strange things, seeing that image. Thinking about it. About him taking the mound in Boston, mowing down A-Rod and Tex in the heat of a playoff race. Something just.. gut-wrenching about it. Imagine its the last day of the season, and a Red Sox win means a playoff berth. Better yet it knocks the Yankees out of contention. Smoltz takes the hill, shuts down the opposition. Blows them away. The everlasting image of the Red Sox' season is Smoltz burying a slider low and in on Jeter to put the Yankees away. Say he wins a playoff game or two, maybe even throws a complete game and gives the catcher a bear hug at the end. How does that make you feel? That John Smoltz's image could be a part of Red Sox history. That's our man, our leader becoming an integral part of some other club's history! Think about Dave Roberts, who spent part of one season in Boston, but stole the base that led to the greatest comeback in baseball history. What if its the same for Smoltz? Can you live with that? I don't think I can. But I can tell you who has no problem with that - John Smoltz.


John Smoltz is the most competitive player in baseball. Maybe in all of sports (save for his buddy Tiger Woods). This offseason the Braves basically showed that they thought Smoltz couldn't get hitters out anymore. He's going to be 42 and he's finished. Many players might agree and say something like "well its been a great run, and its time I stepped away." Not Smoltzie. Never him. He hears "it can't be done" and all he thinks is "I'll show you it can." All Smoltz asked for was a chance to prove himself. For coaches and trainers to watch him throw, watch his movements, his range of motion, and judge right there how well his recovery his going. Judge whether he can get hitters out this season. The Braves appear to have not given him that chance. Their position during the end of the season did not change in the offseason. Smoltz was not going to become that ace starter they needed him to be. The Red Sox just need a veteran arm, a competitor and a performer down the stretch - and they signed the best one in baseball history.

After a week of moves rebuilding the broken Braves rotation, can Frank Wren really look back and agree that this was the right choice? Low-balling Smoltz with ridiculous incentives that would never vest? Their original plan was to rebuild first, figure out Smoltz and Glavine second. While they were waiting around for the rebuilding, they ignored Smoltz. He didn't want to wait around on anyone's doorstep hoping it might open come February or March. With all of the work he was putting into his rehab, it was important for him to know whether it was worth it. He's upset. He's upset in the lack of faith. This is John Smoltz. We know him. We know what he's going to do when faced with a challenge. He's publicly stated many times that his shoulder feels better than its ever felt. He can do push ups for the first time in over three years! Its more stable, its more useful, and its going to be ready for a major league workload, whether its in April or in August.

So why the split? Business, right? We offered less money, we require a significant contribution given the state of our roster, and we can't rely on a 42-year old pitcher coming off major surgeries. So we pass. The Red Sox have a loaded roster, a lot of money to spend, and nothing but time to let Smoltz regain his form. They want him ready for September - the playoff race. So they sign him. Ultimately it comes down to what gives Smoltz the best chance to not only recover adequately, but to contribute to a winning ball club, and have one more chance at a title run. The Braves offer none of those things. The front office believes we need him in April, and we have no guarantee that we'll make any kind of a playoff run. Should we be out of it in July or August, we'd probably end up trading him to Boston anyway. So which is better? Letting him go out like this, or by trading him in his final season? Which would make you more upset? Any way you slice it, Smoltz was not ending this season in a Braves uniform. He would not be ending his career as a Brave. End of story.

A lot of Braves fans, myself included, had the immediate reaction to write off Frank Wren, to write off the Braves franchise. "They won't be getting a dime from me until Frank Wren is fired!" Its understandable at first. But now, only a week later, that's become a ridiculous statement. Wren clearly is trying hard to put the best ball club together. Going into this week, who was the best free agent pitcher on the market? Derek Lowe. Now a Brave. Not to mention adding Kenshin Kawakami to go along with Javier Vazquez, acquired earlier this offseason. The Braves rotation has shaped up nicely, easily able to compete with the staffs in Philly and New York. But let's think about this. Were these moves so quickly made because of the reaction to Smoltz's departure? Or were they planned out, and we were going to get Kenshin and Lowe anyway? Well weren't we? Wasn't Wren's plan to get 2-3 pitchers and a power bat? Its hard to say if one influenced the other, but looking back.. with the money we still have, and a complete rotation now in place.. why wouldn't we offer Smoltz whatever it would take? We don't need him to start April 1st in the rotation. We have 5 pitchers already. We don't need him close on day one either, we have Gonzo. The state of the Braves pitching staff today bears great similarity to that of the Red Sox. We don't need Smoltz on day one or day thirty, we just need him in the clubhouse. We need him to rehab that arm and give us whatever production he can possibly give, whenever that may be.

So looking back, Mr. Wren, don't your proposed incentives to Mr. Smoltz seem a bit outrageous? Sure he could make $10M next year under our plan too.. if he throws 200 innings, if he starts 30 games, and if he's a front-line starter the entire season. But if all along you're saying that we need to rebuild our rotation first before worrying about Smoltz.. isn't that just admitting that he was never in the plans to be our #1 starter? Weren't we admitting that should Smoltz be on the roster in 2009, that it would be as a reliever or a midseason back-end of the rotation guy? Wasn't that the assumption all along? Why all of a sudden switch gears and tell John that if he's not ready to give us 200 innings this year, then he's not ready to be a Brave this year. Why low-ball him in guaranteed money and expect him to not be offended? Why all of these shenanigans? Either tell him its time to part ways, or be aggressive and keep him here. That kind of offer says, "We'll take you if no one else will. But we really don't care."

You might argue how that's a significant investment in an older pitcher who might give you nothing this season. And maybe it is. But if you have money to spend (and every team has $5M to spend. every team.), don't you always try to invest it in what gives your team the best chance to win? Does John Smoltz in the clubhouse not give you that? Does John Smoltz mentoring young pitchers like Jurrjens and Hanson not give you that edge? Does the idea of going to the ballpark to see Smoltz one last time not excite the fans? Bottom line - regardless of whether Smoltz throws 200 innings or 2 innings, your team is better with him on the roster. Boston knows that. And we damn well should know that after 21 years.

I wish John all the best, and hope he has a smooth recovery. And I'll say it right now - nothing would give me more pleasure than seeing him pitch again in a big game. That's what he was meant to do, and that's what I'll miss about him as a Brave. So good luck Smoltzie, I know I'll be cheering for ya.

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A Dark Cloud Over The Ted

On 790 The Zone this morning, a caller told us that he's been a lifelong Braves fan and if Smoltz goes to Boston, he won't be giving the Braves another cent of his money until Frank Wren is fired.

I'm compelled to agree with him.

The Braves come into the offseason telling everyone about their big pile of cash: $30-40M available to spend on free agents and new talent to make this team competitive again. Now after landing nobody except Javy Vazquez, its beginning to look like the front office has packed it in and are waiting to see how the prospects pan out. Wren and company refuse to make any aggressive offers, forgetting that we are no longer an attractive destination for free agents. Or even our own team leader, for that matter. $5.5M for John Smoltz is a bargain. That's practically free. He could pitch ZERO innings and I'd still pay him that much. Just to be in the clubhouse, just to show the young pitchers what its like to work and act like a superstar Major Leaguer. But he will pitch innings. And he could pitch a lot of innings.

This is clearly his final season and his insane competitiveness is going to show through. Sure we've lost guys before, hell we've lost everyone except Chipper and Smoltz over the years. This is professional baseball, after all. But with one year remaining in his Hall of Fame career, how can the Braves front office believe any of their half-assed justifications that we can't sink any more money into 40+ year old pitching. Keeping Smoltz isn't about saving the rotation. Its about saving face. If he came back, it'd likely be as a reliever, keeping him in a role that can limit injuries. What's important is that we keep him in a role. Any role. Boston has nothing to lose by signing him. They have a stocked rotation and bullpen, and $5.5M means nothing to them. But we have a lot to lose by letting him walk. We'll lose fans, we'll lose respect, we'll lose hope. Its January and its already time to think about next November. Who's a free agent? What prospects might be ready? Will Chipper retire? I think someone needs to remind Frank Wren that you actually have to field a team in 2009. And if you have the money, you have to do right by your fans and field the best possible team you can. And that will always mean having John Smoltz on the roster.

Now then, is it time to buy FireFrankWren.com?
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