Posted By Kevin Jacobs, Sun Staff

On the heels of signing Brad Penny, Theo Epstein and the Red Sox have added the future Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz. At 41, he is nearing the end of his career, but seems far from finished. After two decades as an Atlanta Brave, “Smoltzy” will make the move north to Boston in search of his second World Series ring.

Before discussing his obvious benefits on the field, let me emphasize that Smoltz is one of the most passionate and hard working players to ever play the game. Along with Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis, Smoltz will become one of the team’s strongest leaders in the locker room and on the field. Similar to the diminutive MVP, Smoltz has an intense desire to prove doubters wrong, and to simply be the best at his position.

The worry is that Smoltz missed most of last season due to a shoulder injury and eventually surgery. However, word is he’s healthy for now. And when Smoltz is healthy, he’s dominant. In just six games and 28 innings, Smoltz posted a 2.57 ERA with 36 strikeouts. From 2005-2007 he averaged 222 innings pitched, 14.7 wins, 192 K’s, and only 51.7 walks. There’s no dispute; the man can throw a baseball.

The good news is that Boston scouts have recently seen him throw, and have good things to say. He apparently looks healthy and ready to contribute. I love this signing simply because it provides Boston with so much flexibility, leadership, and depth. More importantly, the Sox didn’t have to shell out $100+ million dollars for an impact arm.

And when it comes to finding playing time for the now six legitimate starters, don’t be too worried about it. When you have oft-injured guys like Josh Beckett and Brad Penny in your rotation, odds are there’ll be plenty of room for other guys to pitch.

The Sox needed to respond somehow to the Yankees’ jaw-dropping spending spree, and although Smoltz won’t have the impact of Mark Teixeira, he does make Boston’s rotation the best in the AL East. And now who knows, maybe we’ll see Theo conjure up a few more crafty deals…maybe one for Jarrod Saltalamacchia??