Move On and Let Rehabbing Smoltz Walk

The Braves' offseason of maddening miscalculations reached a boiling point late Wednesday night, when ESPN first reported that iconic pitcher John Smoltz was on the verge of signing a $5.5 million, one-year, incentive-laden deal with the Red Sox, ending one of the most fruitful and symbiotic relationships in baseball, if not sports.

And now for the latest up-to-date scoreboard: MLB 4, Braves 0.

Here's a short recap of perhaps the most inglorious three months in team history:

• There were the failed Jake Peavy negotiations, which involved Padres general manager Kevin Towers outmuscling Braves (and Cubs) officials in what became a six-week soap opera that, as we know, ended without resolution.
• There were the failed A.J. Burnett negotiations, which, note the trend, ended with Yankees officials outbiding GM Frank Wren and leaving the penny-pinching Braves desperate and grasping for the next-best free-agent starter.
• There were the misleading negotiations with free-agent shortstop Rafael Furcal, the phantom term sheet, the moratorium on all Paul Kinzer-related clients and the public faceplant the Braves endured.

Those are enough front-office gaffes for half a decade, let alone a single offseason.

And then came Wednesday, and public backlash from the -- you guessed it! -- failed negotiations with John Smoltz.

Four weeks ago it was written in this space that the Braves needed to make a refined and definite splash in the remaining weeks before pitchers and catchers report, or another third-place finish in the NL East was imminent.

Make that a fourth-place finish.

The departure of Smoltz and the, ahem, smoldering residue in the Braves clubhouse, has left obvious questions regarding the direction of the team. Now thrust into Face of the Franchise status, Jones, speaking of his recent conversation with intriguing free-agent Derek Lowe, kicked off his tenure with this barb directed toward team officials, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: "He (Lowe) is definitely interested, but this carnage that just happened is not very appealing."

Initial reaction to Smoltz's departure: Slap in the face.

Two days later, after much thought and deliberation: The Braves are better off.

The free-spending Red Sox threw $5.5 million at the rehabbing Smoltz, whom they aren't expecting to contribute until June as he recovers from what was once thought as career-threatening shoulder surgery. If he triggers the incentives clause in his contract, which are reportedly very attainable, that figure can be bumped up to $10 million.

The Braves offered $2.5 million in guaranteed money -- appropriate for a 41-year-old pitcher with five separate right-arm surgeries -- with incentives exceeding $12 million. Because they just got burned for $10 million last season, when Smoltz missed a month with a sore rotator cuff and made just one bullpen appearance in June before announcing he would undergo season-ending surgery, why waste more?

Wren mentioned to reporters Thursday that negotiations with aging players are always considered the most precarious, given the need to respect their past work while still moving the franchise ahead. This is no different.

They have significantly compensated the guy for his labor for the past 21 years, and when the bearded veteran was convinced he was being disrespected, he bolted. So much for mutual respect.

Tom Glavine left in 2003 when the Mets made a more lucrative offer, and he promptly struggled and slunk back to Atlanta with a greater appreciation for the Braves franchise. Here's solace: If Smoltz miraculously stays healthy and wins 10-plus games in 2009, you can bet the Braves will make a hard charge at him during the offseason.

Right now the Braves have to move forward, and as currently constituted, the 2009 squad will finish no better than fourth.

If the Braves acquire Lowe -- and the belief here is they will, regardless of cost -- the starting rotation will be: Lowe, Jurrjens, Vazquez, Glavine and Campillo/Morton/Reyes. Don't forget about uber-prospect Tommy Hanson, who could be recalled from the minors as early as May.

Sure, the Braves lost their most iconic figure, their most respected leader in the clubhouse. But Tim Hudson, who will be out until at least August recovering from Tommy John surgery, can pick up the slack in that department. He was already a mentor to Jurrjens, the 22-year-old phenom who often threw bullpens with Hudson and went over pitching charts before each outing.

Acquire Lowe, the most durable and successful free-agent pitcher still on the market, and this public relations fiasco will eventually be swept under the rug, like it was with Glavine six years ago.

Don't acquire Lowe, and you best find another team to watch in 2009. This product could be ugly.


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