Monday, December 03, 2001
Smoltz stays with Braves
The Associated Press
ATLANTA — John Smoltz, who thrived with Atlanta after being moved to the bullpen, agreed to a $30 million, three-year contract with the Braves on Sunday.
The free agent pitcher was courted by several teams to resume his former role as a starter. He decided to stay with the Braves, who wanted him to remain a closer after he saved 10 games in 11 chances this past season.
Smoltz has spent his entire 14-year career with the Braves. He won the Cy Young Award in 1996.
The three-year contract includes salaries of $10 million in each of the next three seasons, and a $12 million team option for 2005. If Smoltz becomes a starter, he would get a performance bonus of $100,000 per start.
“We saw last year how dominant he could be in that role as closer, how well it sets up our whole pitching staff,” general manager John Schuerholz said. “He made our entire pitching staff far more effective than it's ever been, I think, from the starters through the relievers.”
The 34-year-old Smoltz missed all of the 2000 season following elbow surgery and tried to come back as a starter. When his recovery didn't go as well, he moved to the bullpen in late July as a last resort.
Smoltz was dominating as the closer, helping the Braves win their ninth straight division title. He saved two more games in the playoffs against Houston before the Braves were beaten by Arizona in the NL championship series.
“This is a real important piece for a club that focuses on pitching as its primary asset,” Schuerholz said. “To have a closer of his caliber available for three years is very, very comforting.”
Smoltz was among 13 Atlanta players who filed for free agency, but clearly the top priority. The agents for catcher Javy Lopez and All-Star pitcher John Burkett have both indicated that their clients could be playing elsewhere next season.
The team and Smoltz's representatives met Friday and Saturday before agreeing to a deal Sunday afternoon by telephone.
Smoltz was not immediately available for comment. He left Sunday for a weeklong trip to Las Vegas.
“He hit it big without going to the casino,” Schuerholz quipped.
Smoltz felt his elbow was strong enough to return to a starting rotation. The Arizona Diamondbacks and New York Yankees were among the teams interested in signing him for that role.
The Braves never gave Smoltz that option.
“We talked entirely and exclusively about John being our closer,” Schuerholz said. “That's what we thought he was best as. We think he could be a dominant pitcher in that role for a long, long time.”
Smoltz has undergone three surgeries on his elbow, including the dreaded “Tommy John” procedure to replace a ligament in 2000.
“This provides him and us with some comfort in protecting his arm for a longer period of time,” Schuerholz said. “I think John feels so good about his elbow and so good about his physical condition that he could start without any problems. We always felt more comfortable that this role (as closer) was a really, really appropriate one and one he could flourish in.”
Smoltz was exclusively a starter until this past season. His career record is 160-116 with a 3.35 ERA, including a career-high 24 wins in 1996.
In 2001, Smoltz was 2-2 with a 5.76 ERA as a starter, including two stints on the disabled list. He went 1-1 with a 1.59 ERA out of the bullpen.
The Braves had a homefield advantage in negotiations.
While Smoltz is a Michigan native, he lives year-round in Atlanta and is active in the community. He made it clear all along that he wouldn't move his home even if he changed teams.
“I'm far from done,” he said a couple of weeks ago. “I can do a lot of things. I feel I can win 20 games next year, or save 50.”
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Smoltz stays with Braves 
