Smoltz, Red Sox finalize deal
BOSTON — John Smoltz finalized his $5.5 million, one-year agreement with Boston, confident he can still contribute after 20 years with the Atlanta Braves and major offseason shoulder surgery.
“I’m as determined and I’m as focused as I’ve ever been,” the right-hander said Tuesday. “The uniform has changed. The desire won’t change.”
Smoltz can earn an additional $5 million in bonuses based on time on the active 25-man roster: $125,000 for his first day, $35,000 a day from June 1 through Oct. 3, and $500,000 for Oct. 4, the last scheduled day of the regular season.
“I don’t see this as one year,” he said. “Age is just a number.”
The 41-year-old Smoltz has 210 wins, 154 saves and a 3.26 ERA in a 20-year career with the Atlanta Braves. Last season, he was 3-2 with a 2.57 ERA before going on the disabled list in June.
Smoltz and general manager Theo Epstein said the pitcher will be a starter once he’s ready. They’re in no hurry to get him on the mound for a regular-season game.
Detroit, Taiwanese lefty agree on terms
DETROIT — The Detroit Tigers have agreed to a contract with a Taiwanese pitcher who played for his national team at the Beijing Olympics.
The Tigers said Tuesday that 26-year-old left-hander Fu-Te Ni (FOO’-tay-nee) will attend spring training in Lakeland, Fla., as a nonroster invitee. Ni has spent the past two seasons pitching for the China Trust Whales in the Chinese Professional Baseball League. In 2008, he had a 5-12 record, 3.34 ERA and league-leading 132 strikeouts in more than 145 innings.
Orioles get Japanese pitcher
BALTIMORE — Right-hander Koji Uehara signed a two-year contract Tuesday with Baltimore, making him the first Japanese-born player in franchise history.
Uehara, 33, comes to the Orioles after a 10-year run with the Yomiuri Giants of the Japanese Central League. He ia 112-62 with a 3.01 ERA and 56 complete games in 207 career starts. He has struck 1,376 and walked only 206 in 276 career games for the Giants. His career average of eight strikeouts per nine innings would rank seventh among qualifying active major league pitchers.
Phillies pitcher leaves South Korean team
SEOUL, South Korea — Philadelphia’s Chan Ho Park will miss the World Baseball Classic after quitting South Korea’s national team. Park, a 35-year-old right-hander who finalized a $2.5 million, one-year contract with the Phillies last week, said Tuesday he needed to focus on trying to become a starter for the World Series champions.
Hoffman now officially a Brewer
MILWAUKEE — Career saves leader Trevor Hoffman and Milwaukee announced their $6 million, one-year deal Tuesday after the reliever passed a physical. The 41-year-old righty, who had pitched for San Diego since 1993, has 554 saves in 930 relief appearances over his 16-year career. He went 3-6 with a 3.77 ERA and 30 saves in 34 opportunities last season.
Mota returning to Dodgers?
LOS ANGELES — Free-agent reliever Guillermo Mota is returning to the Los Angeles Dodgers, pending a physical examination. The 35-year-old right-hander has agreed to terms with the Dodgers, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said Tuesday, speaking on condition of anonymity because the deal hasn’t been finalized. Mota had a 5-6 record with a 4.11 ERA in 58 games for Milwaukee last season.
Former NL manager dies
ANAHEIM, Calif. — Preston Gomez, who managed the expansion San Diego Padres and later guided the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs during a six-decade career in baseball, died Tuesday. He was 85. Gomez died in Fullerton, Calif. He never fully recovered from head injuries sustained last March when he was hit by a pickup truck while walking to his car in Blythe, Calif. Gomez worked for the Angels for more than 25 years, and was on his way back from the team’s spring training camp in Tempe, Ariz., when he was struck. The Angels announced his death.
Associated Press
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