John Smoltz looking Saux-y

In some non-Yankee news:


Legendary pitcher and likely Hall of Famer, John Smoltz is set to sign with the Boston Red Sox.

The move has a potential enormous payoff--when healthy, Smoltz is still an excellent pitcher--but Smoltz is entering his age 42 season and spent much of last year battling numerous arm problems.

If Smoltz stays healthy, it could get the Red Sox the same sort of marginal wins that the Yankees are looking for with Mark Teixiera; in a division as tough as the AL East, an extra three or four wins is the difference between a party in October and moping on the sofa.

Even so, if one remembers 1996 and 1999, it's not as though the Yankees have never beaten Smoltz...

The Sox have also recently signed former Dodger Brad Penny and are close to announcing a deal with former Rays' outfielder Rocco Baldelli, so it appears that Theo Epstein and Co. have been on a gimp-ish kick of late. (No offense to Baldelli or Penny, I wish them well).

Or, perhaps, the Smoltz signing could turn into a Curt Schilling redux.

Time will tell.

The signings of Baldelli and Smoltz are set to be announced at tomorrow's Baseball Writers' dinner.