Headlines

  • Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Diagnosed With Torn ACL
  • Braves Claim Ha-Seong Kim From Rays
  • Jason Adam Likely Headed For Season-Ending Quad Surgery
  • Mariners Promote Harry Ford, Release Donovan Solano
  • Phillies Sign Walker Buehler To Minors Contract
  • Red Sox Extend Aroldis Chapman
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Smoltz Could Leave Braves

By Tim Dierkes | August 28, 2006 at 12:35pm CDT

It seems like every couple of years, the Braves go through contract negotations with John Smoltz.  He’s been a Brave for all these years, it just seems inevitable that they’ll work something out.  However, a recent quote from Smoltz makes this offseason sound a little different:

All I know is, after these last two years and with my desire to work out, I’ve got two or three more years, easy. I used to always be of the mind-set that if it’s not here, it won’t be anywhere else.  But that’s not the case any more. I’ll pitch somewhere else.

Smoltz, 39, is having a Cy Young caliber season.  He’s got a 3.36 ERA, 1.12 WHIP, and 8.3 K/9 in 190 innings.  Shortly after the World Series, the Braves need to decide if he’s worth $8MM for 2007.

Smoltz received a four-year deal worth $31MM in November of 1996 following his Cy Young season.  He became baseball’s highest-paid pitcher at the time.  The results of the contract were 90 starts, one Tommy John surgery, and one season as closer.  His next multiyear deal was three years and $30 mil, with a club option as well.  He signed his current extension in December of 2004; it included a $6MM signing bonus to bring the average annual value to $9.3MM assuming the option is exercised.

That option, by the way, is a no-brainer.  Smoltz is worth $7.4MM next year according to Baseball Prospectus.  They project his value at just $11.5MM over the 2008-10 seasons, however.  The smart business move may be to just exercise the option and leave it at that.  That could result in a midsummer deal.  Smoltz’s former team, the Tigers, could have interest if he’s ever available.  Smoltz hails from Warren, Michigan and grew up in the Tigers’ system.

One thing that could maybe turn a few teams off: some comments Smoltz made a couple of years ago.  I haven’t been able to find out if he’s amended or clarified since.  And honestly most teams would probably ignore it the way they ignore DUIs and stuff like that.

Share 0 Retweet 0 Send via email0

Atlanta Braves Detroit Tigers John Smoltz

Girardi On the Outs in Florida
Main
2007 Free Agent Market: Closers
View Comments (0)
Post a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Diagnosed With Torn ACL

    Braves Claim Ha-Seong Kim From Rays

    Jason Adam Likely Headed For Season-Ending Quad Surgery

    Mariners Promote Harry Ford, Release Donovan Solano

    Phillies Sign Walker Buehler To Minors Contract

    Red Sox Extend Aroldis Chapman

    Administrative Leave For Emmanuel Clase, Luis Ortiz Extended “Until Further Notice”

    Cubs To Sign Carlos Santana

    Red Sox Release Walker Buehler

    Pirates Place Isiah Kiner-Falefa On Outright Waivers

    Randy Rodriguez Recommended To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Padres Place Xander Bogaerts On IL With Foot Fracture

    Cardinals To Promote Jimmy Crooks

    Red Sox To Promote Payton Tolle

    Corey Seager To Undergo Appendectomy, Not Ruled Out For Season

    Frankie Montas To Undergo UCL Surgery

    Guardians Release Carlos Santana

    Brewers Place Trevor Megill On IL Due To Flexor Strain, Sign Erick Fedde

    Guardians Place Carlos Santana On Outright Waivers

    Astros Reinstate Yordan Alvarez From Injured List

    Recent

    Orioles Designate Corbin Martin, Elvin Rodríguez For Assignment

    Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Diagnosed With Torn ACL

    Tigers Move Chris Paddack To Bullpen

    Diamondbacks Outright Tristin English

    Blue Jays Select Ryan Borucki

    Reds Designate Joe La Sorsa For Assignment

    Diamondbacks Notes: Gurriel, Kelly, Gallen

    Rockies Claim Roansy Contreras

    Nationals Sign Jorge Alfaro

    Cubs Sign Joe Ross To Minor League Deal

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Every MLB Trade In July
    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • 2026-27 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version