Baldelli close to signing with Red Sox; Smoltz not far behind
Rocco Baldelli is scheduled to be at Thursday night's Boston Baseball Writers dinner at the Westin Waterfront Hotel to accept the Tony Conigliaro Award. Will Baldelli have some good news as to his whereabouts for next season? And will his new employer be the Red Sox?
According to sources close to the talks, the 27-year-old Baldelli is inching closer to a deal with the Sox. Boston has done extensive background work on Baldelli's health, including a mitochondrial disorder that has been rediagnosed as the less severe channelopathy this winter.
Sox general manager Theo Epstein declined to comment on Baldelli.
The Sox also are trying to hash out an agreement with free agent righthander John Smoltz, who is recovering from shoulder surgery. Smoltz, 41, would likely not be able to pitch until late May, but the Sox normally overstaff their starting rotation to account for injuries, as they did with Bartolo Colon last season.
Sources indicated last night that Smoltz was leaning toward Boston's offer, which was said to be in the vicinity of $5.5 million guaranteed, with the opportunity to earn up to $10 million with incentives. The Sox and Smoltz have been talking since before the winter meetings. One of the incentives being discussed would be a roster bonus if Smoltz is with the team by June 1.
Smoltz has spent all 20 of his major league seasons with Atlanta, which has expressed a desire for him to return.
Smoltz, an eight-time All-Star and the National League Cy Young Award winner in 1996, has a career record of 210-147 with a 3.26 ERA, as well as 154 saves.
There's hope Baldelli, through diet and medication, can play more than previously anticipated and not suffer the same muscle fatigue to his legs that nearly ended his career a year ago.
Since losing Coco Crisp in the Ramon Ramírez deal with the Royals, the Sox have been in need of a fourth outfielder, preferably one who bats righthanded. Baldelli, a Cumberland, R.I., native, also has drawn interest from the Reds and Pirates, but would prefer to remain closer to home.
The Rays signed former Phillies outfielder Pat Burrell to a two-year, $16 million deal Monday that would seem to end Baldelli's stay with Tampa Bay.
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At least these guys want to be here!
Well, it's something, if hardly exciting news.
*snore* Is Heathcliff Slocumb available?
From this report, I guess we can assume Baldelli will be signing with the Yankees by night's end.
Sign the Woonsocket Rocket!!!
Sign Smoltz and Baldelli and then find a catcher who can hit .260 and I'm completely satisfied with the off-season.
I believe this is a very strong pick-up in Baldelli for the Sox. Given this will be his first season with a correct diagnosis and treatment of his disorder...a season of about 60-80 games (with the fragile Drew and Self destroying Elsbury... Baldelli should see playing time similar to Crisp's last year) could be just the right thing to get this hometown guy on track. I believe Rocco will be a fan favorite.... received similarly as Gabe Kapler had when he assumed the 4th outfielder role. As for Smoltz? ... Why the Sox are willing to spend potentially 10 Mil on an ailing player instead of a younger guy like Ben Sheets is beyond me. Maybe Replacing the veteran presence of Schilling......Varitek???
These would be great additions for the Red Sox. These two players are winners and if it were not for injuries they could summed up as this. Smoltz a BULL DOG who would start or relieve to help the team win and Baldelli a gamer who hustles all the time down the line or on defense. These are two veteran leadership type players unlike what the Yankees Sign. Clubhouse chemistry is not overated just ask Tampa Bay last year.
Great news, both great signings for depth, best news since mid-october
Nice signing for low money and potential high return. The best news is that Rocco was misdiagnosed and that he could play more than first thought with the mitochondrial condition. Good luck Rocco......nice signing Theo.
Baldelli certainly could add to the suspense. My sentimental side wants to see him come to Boston and make good, transcend his medical problems, have a great season, a big postseason, and sell his story to Hollywood.
On the other hand we'd have a lot of question marks in the outfield to add to the ones on the diamond. It's easy to imagine a moment in the season when Drew's on the DL, Ellsbury is slumping, and Baldelli is too tired to play.
yay
yay
Penny, Smoltz, Baldelli. Have we sunk so low that all we can afford are bargain-basement deals on broken old players who used to be good once? Can we sign anyone of value? Bard? Green? Good grief.
What do ya mean he didn't grow up a Sox fan? Does this man have no soul?!
Mr. HMO and a 41 year old, broken down pitcher? They'll be lucky to see any results from them.
I was hoping they'd go after Smoltz... What he did last year or the year before that when he came into Fenway...man, he dominated the Sox. An NL pitcher usually doesn't do well in the AL, but he just bored through our lineup like it was nothing to it. Kudos...it could be a great signing for short $.
I've always liked Smotlz... I think with a rotation of Beckett, Lester, Smoltz, Dice-K, and Schil (or any one of the young'uns they can plug in there), and Paps at the back end, we've got a good a staff as any, Yankees be damned.
Adding Baldelli makes sense. Doesn't cost much, and you get a "coming-home, local-boy makes good" story.
I love the Smoltz move, a rotation of Beckett, Lester, Dice K, Penny, Smoltz can be deadly! Remember that Smoltz is going to be ready by late May thats a great Veteran to add to the Sox rotation during the mix of a season! Even if he ends up in the bullpen just incase Masterson or Ramirez fall flat in their face then you have a guy like Smoltz who has over 150+ saves become the bridge to Cinco Ocho...I take this pitching staff over anyone in the MLB, Brad Penny can be another guy that has the potential with this coaching staff to become a solid top of the order pitcher again
Baldelli sucks.
Cafardo Thank you for your column. Thank you for the writing. Don't leave the Globe. We are dying here with the Mazz column and yankee knuckleheads on the forum boards. We want to know about the sox, and thanks to Cafardo, we do.
Smoltz is another great low risk deal. He starts in May or june and I think should win 10 games in that span
Nice pickups. In fact, I can't tell which one I like better. Overall, I think the approach of going for depth rather than peak potential is probably a good one. Chances are both Penny and Smoltz won't work out but I would think that one of them will. Another nice pickup like Kotsay would give us some backup in case Baldelli can't play.
Now if we could just find a catcher...
These sound like smart, however unsexy, possible signings. I would love to see either of these two on the roster. And I'd rather not see the Sox sign some big name to big money because of a Yankee-reflex. Let's hope we can find another Ortiz in the bargain bin at Walmart...
dude
Smoltz is definitely too old to make an impact to the Sox
Boston runs their business so intelligent. Baldelli, Smoltz, and Penny are all low-cost deals that offer a potential high ceiling of return over the next year or two.
Boston's farm system players can still develop, or the Sox's now have the flexibility of trading away a young prospect or two for a starting catcher, a starting shortstop over the Lugo/Lowrie timeshare, or another bat or reliever. Boston's success is all about depth. 6 veteran pitchers coupled with young prospect Bowden and Buchlz gives Boston the most depth in starting pitching in all of baseball!
Does this mean that WEEI will be reporting Thursday afternoon that Smoltz and Baldelli will be signing with the Yankees? Oh, sorry, that was Texeira. Maybe the Sox would have been better off adding the money spent on these two reclamation projects to the Texeira offer. ($5 million for a 40 year old pitcher coming off an injury!! You've got to be kidding.) Then again with all the injuries the Sox had last year, these guys should fit right in. Of course they could always bring back Curt in the car too. Might as well keep the trainers busy.
Yanks play Big Ball,Red Sox play Small Big Ball.Sounds like (Check) to me in Beantown.Just goes to show,MLB players love Boston,greatest Sportstown in America.Land of Ted Williams,Bob Cousy,Bobby Orr and Tom Brady........Philly has Rocky,Boston has Rocco (hopefully) Balldelli......All we need are some more little pieces to complete the mastery of John Henry,the greatest owner in MLB........John Smoltz,coming to Boston!!.....Why?.....Because he wants to play for Boston!.....He knows it's the place to be.....Fenway Park!!.....The greatest baseball park in Baseball,that's why!!.......("Let's Go Boston!!!)...."Cause I Love That Dirty Water"
Can Baldelli play all three outfield positions? Who plays center when Jacoby is out of the line-up? Drew?
And again the Red Sox dig down into the depths of the walking wounded and sign Smoltz and possibly Baldelli. Guess they'll never learn.
Where are the African Americans? This team is looking like a chapter of the KKK.
WELCOME HOME ROCCO!!!
There's something we're not being told here. Did John Henry have his money tied up with Bernie Madoff? The Sox have not spent a dime so far to improve the team for 2009, while our rivals have. To use a car analogy, the Yankees took their old, broken down car and restored it to near mint condition. Granted, it cost them $435 million dollars, but the car will run a lot better. The Rays car was in great shape, and they just polished it up by adding Pat Burrell. The Sox have so far apparently decided to fix their car by going to the junkyard and looking for old, broken parts to try and fix the car. Smoltz? Penny? Baldelli? Hope the car starts on cold days!
YES WE SHOULD GET ROCCO.
GETTING DISGUSTED READING ABOUT THE PLAYERS YOUR'E SEEKING!
SPEND THE MONEY AND GET WHAT WE REALLY NEED.NOT THESE OFTEN
INJURED,OLDER,LOW QUALITY TYPE PLAYER THAT YOU THINK YOU CAN STEAL.THIS IS NOT WHAT THE RED SOX NATION WANTS.
GO OUT THERE AND GET PEAVEY,SALTAMACCIO,AND FORGET THE GARBAGE.
THANKS, NOW I'VE SAID IT THEO. GO DO YOUR JOB"MAKE IT HAPPEN"
Henry's organization now buys ballplayers the way Henry buys stocks. (And Henry cleaned up last year while everyone else was bleeding.) The pickup of Rocco Baldelli was brilliant. Will he recover and meet his potential? No way to know for sure, but the downside is insignificant, while the potential upside is enormous. Appropriately, as Peter Lynch used to say, this one could be a four-bagger.
Smoltz on the other hand, is a steady performer. No potential upside here - the Sox know exactly what they're getting: The twilight performances of a Hall-of-Famer.
These two intelligent moves show that Sox' management, at least, has not been thrown off-stride by the Teixeira mess.
I don't like the idea of Rocco. If we sign him we'll need a FIFTH outfielder too as he cannot be relied upon.
WHAT IS THIS ARE THE SOX BUILDING A HOSPITAL SING ME IN.!!!!!!
The local news (AJC) on Smoltz down here in Atlanta ...
"John Smoltz’s career with the Braves is apparently over. The iconic Atlanta pitcher, who’s recovering from June shoulder surgery, has reportedly agreed to a contract worth $5.5M guaranteed from the Red Sox, with additional incentives worth up to $5M. He apparently will inform the Braves of his decision Thursday.
The Braves were expected to go no higher than $3 million guaranteed, regardless of other offers he got. Smoltz made $14 million last season and had a 2.00 ERA in five starts before throbbing pain in his shoulder forced him to the disabled list.
Smoltz was back throwing off a mound the first week of December, greatly impressing observers including Braves manager Bobby Cox and pitching coach Roger McDowell. Still, Braves general manager Frank Wren wanted to wait longer before committing to a 2009 contract for Smoltz. The pitcher, who has declined interview requests most of the winter, apparently tired of waiting for the Braves to increase their offer and found the Red Sox proposal too good to pass up.
He will join a deep and talented Boston rotation, and the Red Sox hope the winningest postseason pitcher in history will be ready to help them in the second half and the playoffs."
Check out this Dustin Pedroia Interview on ESPNVideogames.com...
MLB 09 The Show: Dustin Pedroia Interview
I live in Tampa and work with many players on the team. Rocco Baldelli was by far the leader in that clubhouse and one of the best clutch players we had. You fans are so upset that you didn't sign Texeria. I don't think the Sox should have signed him. It is not a need.
Lars Anderson is the #1 minor league 1st baseman in the country and will be hitting 25 to 30 home runs for the Sox by 2010. In his prime he will be on par with Texeria and you saved a ton of money.
DO NOT underestimate the signing of Rocco. He will be a huge part of this team on and off the field. Please don't get like Yankee fans and act like you deserve/must win the World Series ever year. That attitude will cause management to make bad decisions just like in NY.
Develop talent and mix in some veteran free agents. That will lead you to another championship.
hey john henry: please sell da sox to someone who's last name is Steinbrenner!!!! all these 2nd rate signings r killing me!!!! whats wrong with bobby abreu!?...he carried da yanks for @ 1/2 a season in '08, a great bat & a good outfielder
Last time I checked the Red Sox were loaded......L O A D E D. Henry and co. bought the team for $700 million in 2002 and in 2005 the franchised was estimated to be worth over 4 billion. Well, they've won another world series since then so you'd have to imagine the Red Sox are worth quite a bit more today.
If the Red Sox had a team payroll of $200 million, which they don't, they're payroll is much less. And assuming the franchise is worth $4 billion today, which it isn't, it's worth much more. The team payroll would be only 5% of their worth, only 5%!!!
Say what you want about the Yankees. But they're never pretending to be poor. The fans will always get a return on their investments. The Yankess will always put money back into the team. How much money have we Red Sox fans pumped into this franchise over the years and where does it go? Certainly not into the team.
These owners have the fans so snowed over. I'm constantly hearing fans talk about how much player make. Who cares! They make alot compared to me and you, but NOTHING compared to the owners.
To all the complainers out there...grow up. These players are not necessary pieces, but supporting players that give our team more freedom and depth. Penny has good upside, but no one expects him to be a major piece. Same with Smoltz and Baldelli. It's like Dave Roberts in '04. They come in, help out, maybe even win a world series and then they move on. This only gives us more opportunities to develop our young talent or trade for some of those great players that are worth keeping. Sure the Yankees got some big names and we didn't, but we also aren't locked into long and sizable contracts. That's what ultimately knocked them out of the playoffs this year anyway. So raise your glass to another decade of slow demise for the Evil Empire and get ready for more good times in Beantown. What are we complaining about anyway...we just won two World Series titles!
Oh how nice it must be to be the rich kid on the block. Spending money like it's paper. The Sox continue to act like the team they hate the most. Which is why I hate the Red Sox.
kind of feel like those people already knocking the smoltz signing and screaming for peavy and the like are very shortsighted and uninformed
I did notice that about the Sox over the last couple of years...the team is certainly not diversifying itself and is turning into the All-Whites team. Could it be sheer coincidence...i certainly hope so.
I know that African Americans are focusing more on football and basketball and not really playing baseball, but certainly the Latin American/Domincan players are all over the place...and growing!
I live in Atlanta. Most Braves fans down here are heartbroken today. The guy's been a winner here for a long time. Even when his arm was hurting him last year, just before he shut it down, he was hitting 97 on the radar gun. This guy could be a big help to the Sox down the stretch and he's a proven commodity out of the pen if they make it to the playoffs.
Hey put to rest the Racco thing he will be fine today The Boston Red Sox re-sign Kotsay OK Happy see Racco now becomes your 5th outfielder unless Mike Lowe dont bounce back then Kotsay goes to 1B Youk to 3rd and then Racco becomes your 4th outfielder Great Move Theo!
Good Depth adds with high quality people Good guys.. Now Re-sign Kotsay and go get Ryan Doumit.
If the team was all minority & we asked for more white players we'd be accused of being racist fans. I just wonder why it's okay to discriminate against whites but not other races.Can you imagine what would happend in this country if we had the Cacausian equivalent of the NAACP, UNCF or Miss Black America Pagent? I don't give a damn what race or nationality the players are- I just want good ballplayers
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