Things haven't worked out quite the way the Red Sox planned for future Hall of Famer John Smoltz. Coming off major surgery, Smoltz was supposed to be the veteran force who would be leading the Sox into October. Eight starts later he has an 8+ ERA, and has been shelled several times, most recently by the Yankees.
Call of the Green Monster has learned that early this morning, Smoltz was flown to Boston in John Henry's private jet for a meeting with the Red Sox human resources office. It was there that Larry Lucchino and hhuman resources director Mary Sprong greeted Smoltz and told him they were offering him a golden parachute--an attractive benefits packages pending his immediate retirement.
"This is a wonderfully generous offer," Lucchino told a stunned Smoltz. "It will certainly ease the pain of leaving the Red Sox before you planned to."
"What if I don't accept it?" Smoltz asked.
"We've got a waiver deal set up with the Washington Nationals, where you'll be their mop-up guy for the rest of the year," Lucchino explained. According to Nationals' sources, no such deal was in place.
"Well," a dejected Smoltz apparently said, "I guess I'll take it."
"Excellent, excellent," Lucchino said, patting Smoltz on the back while easing his toward the door.
"I need to clean out my locker..."
"Already done, your bags are right outside the door." Lucchino then handed Smoltz a piece of paper.
"What's this?"
"Your retirement speech," Lucchino replied. "C'mon, press conference starts in five minutes."
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