Major League Baseball

Central-leading Cardinals sign Smoltz

Published Aug. 19, 2009 8:14 p.m. ET

foxsports

John Smoltz has signed with the St. Louis Cardinals, the team announced Wednesday.

Smoltz reached a tentative decision to join the Cardinals as a free agent on Tuesday afternoon, one source said, but the official announcement had to wait until Wednesday, after he cleared trade waivers.

Earlier Tuesday evening, four major league sources told FOXSports.com that the Cardinals had become favorites to land Smoltz, ahead of the Dodgers, Marlins and Rangers.

While Smoltz is open to pitching as a reliever, it's possible that St. Louis will offer him an opportunity to start — the role he has had for much of his Hall of Fame career.

If Smoltz becomes a starter in St. Louis, the most obvious candidate to leave the rotation would be Mitchell Boggs, a 25-year-old right-hander.

Boggs is 1-2 with a 4.58 ERA after giving up five runs in four innings in Tuesday's loss to the Dodgers. Boggs has a tendency to run up high pitch counts, and, like Smoltz, hasn't recorded an out in the seventh inning of a start this year.

The Red Sox released Smoltz on Monday, after he went 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA in eight starts. Smoltz, 42, has resolved to pitch again, despite the hardship of recovering from shoulder surgery.

In fact, one source close to Smoltz believes he would like to pitch in 2010 if he has a full offseason to prepare.

The Red Sox will pay the remainder of the one-year, $5.5 million contract Smoltz signed in the offseason, less than the prorated major league minimum that the Cardinals will pick up.