If Healthy, Is Jon Smoltz an Option for the New York Yankees?

(Zell's Pinstripe Blog)

These are just rumors now, so don’t get carried away. I haven’t heard anything about the Yankees being interested in Jon Smoltz.

He is still a fantastic pitcher at his age, but he needs to stay healthy. He is still recovering from shoulder surgery. I don’t know if the Yankees want to take another chance on an aging veteran.

I like Smoltz as much as the next guy, but I don’t know if this would be a very smart move. These are his game logs from last year. He was pretty nasty in the few starts he made. On a one year deal..it ain’t a bad idea. It all depends on his condition and if he recovers successfully from surgery.

If healthy, Smoltz an option for the Yankees?

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If healthy, right-hander John Smoltz could emerge as a prize on the open market, becoming an intriguing one-year option for any number of clubs.

Smoltz, who turns 42 in May, still figures to stay with the Braves, for whom he has pitched exclusively for the past 20 seasons.

But the Braves are waiting to determine if Smoltz is sufficiently recovered from shoulder surgery before offering him a contract, creating the opportunity for other teams to bid.

The Yankees, Red Sox and Dodgers are among the teams that likely would be interested in Smoltz on a one-year deal. The Rangers and Brewers also could pursue him. And don’t forget Smoltz’s hometown Tigers, who traded him to the Braves for Doyle Alexander in Aug. 1987.

Smoltz, who holds the major-league records for postseason wins and strikeouts, surely would prefer to pitch for a contender.

And the Braves easily could re-emerge as such a team—they’ve traded for right-hander Javier Vazquez and are trying to add free-agent right-hander A.J. Burnett and another hitter.

Smoltz threw off a mound for the first time last Friday since undergoing surgery last June. He threw all of his pitches and greatly impressed Braves manager Bobby Cox, who was in attendance.

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