If healthy, John Smoltz and Rocco Baldelli could provide excellent pickups for the Boston Red Sox. Both players will make virtually nothing compared to Boston's payroll and provide nice veteran luxuries and depth to the Sox. If healthy, Smoltz instantly becomes one of the top back end of the rotation starters in the game and his pennant race experience will be invaluable toward the end of the season. In his 28 innings last year, Smoltz only allowed 8 runs and struck out 36 hitters. Without exception, teams can ALWAYS use another starter. If he's not healthy enough to start, don't forget that he has closed games before and if he can check his pride at the door, he would be a killer addition to a mediocre bullpen setting up for Jonathan Papelbon. It wouldn't be a shock if Boston got creative in how they used Smoltz.Baldelli, on the other hand, has been limited to 150 games over the past three seasons due to illness; but in 80 at-bats in 2008 he had 9 of his 21 hits for for extra bases. Overall, he managed an on-base percentage of .344 and a slugging percentage of .475, so don't consider the former #6 overall pick just a bench ornament for Boston. As long as the Red Sox use him more than they used Sean Casey, Baldelli will be a great right-handed bat off the bench for his measly $500,000 2009 base salary.
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