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Rangers interested in Smoltz?

info — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:34:27 +0000

Several teams show interest in Smoltz — 4:27 p.m.

The Cardinals, Dodgers, Mets and Mariners are among the teams that have expressed preliminary interest in free-agent right-hander John Smoltz, according to a major-league source.

Smoltz, 42, is open to starting or relieving, and some teams have inquired about him as a closer, the source said. The Astros, Rangers and Orioles also have shown interest in the 22-year veteran.

The Dodgers represent a potentially intriguing fit — the team wants to add veteran starting pitching as it braces for the potential losses of free-agent left-hander Randy Wolf and right-handers Vicente Padilla and Jon Garland.

Dodger Stadium is pitcher-friendly, as are the Mets and Mariners’ home parks. Smoltz likely would prefer to stay in the N.L. — he went 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA in eight starts for the Red Sox last season before going 1-3 with a 4.26 ERA in seven starts for the Cardinals.

Rangers End Of Year Thoughts

info — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 20:01:38 +0000

Season in seven words: “More like the Spurs than the Cowboys.” …

Hero: Pitching coach Mike Maddux. Scott “Who?” Feldman and Kevin “Him?” Millwood combined for 30 wins and plenty of innings, plus nearly every pitcher in the bullpen pitched like nobody was watching …

Loserhead: There are many things about 2009 that Josh Hamilton probably wishes had gone differently …

Key need: Well, another starter or two. But also to manage expectations, as most Ranger fans are primed for a World Series run in 2010. Last year’s Rays notwithstanding, young acorns don’t become mighty oaks overnight …

Prognosis: They’re gonna build something next summer.

Hamilton

JJL — Thu, 08 May 2008 23:04:30 +0000

I’m glad to see that he seems to have gotten his life back together and is fulfilling the worlds of potential that everyone saw in him back in 1999 when he was the #1 overall pick in the draft. He had a great rookie season with Cincinnati in ‘07 and hasn’t skipped a beat since his trade to Texas, as he’s currently leading the Rangers and the rest of Major League Baseball with 36 RBI. He’s gotten even further away from everything that’s haunted him in the past, which is a fantastic thing for him, his family, and the Rangers. It’s a near-miracle that someone who was addicted to such horrible drugs was able to overcome that, become fully clean, and excel at what they do for a living, especially playing professional baseball. He’s a great hitter. He’s got all-world power and hits absolute moonshots. He can take walks, get on base, and doesn’t strike out a ton. He’ll get you a .280-.290 average. He’s a great fielder and has one of the strongest arms of any outfielder in the majors; I’d put it right up there with Ankiel, Markakis, Vlad, and Francouer. And on top of that, despite all the issues he’s had that set his career back, he’s only 27 and has a good 8-10 years left ahead of him, so he didn’t lose too much of his career. Sure, he would have ended up with much better career numbers, but I think the numbers he gets from this day forward will mean even more no matter what they are, simply because of what he overcame to get to this point.

He looks like he’s going to be a 30-40 home run, 100-120 RBI threat year in and year out, just as expected. I have all the respect in the world for a guy like that. You can’t help but root for someone who has suffered through the lowest of lows and is now experiencing all-time highs, and not “those” highs.