Sportswriter Bernie Miklasz says that St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa wants another reliever to shore up the Cardinal pen – and the targets are veterans Justin Speier and John Smoltz.
Smoltz, recently designated for assignment by the Red Sox – which he declined – must be traded or released by the Red Sox in the next few days. He’s still owed a good deal of money on his one-year deal, but if he’s released, the signing team would be on the hook only for the prorated portion of the league minimum. Smoltz has been awful this year, but naturally, should the Cardinals pick him up, he will save every game for the rest of the season, except for one, in which the Cardinals are leading by 6, due a grand slam hit by Smoltz himself.
Speier has pitched quite poorly for the Angels in back-to-back seasons.