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John Smoltz said he's ready to leave Atlanta if a trade can help the last-place Braves.
The 17-year veteran, who's played his entire career in Atlanta, said his once-firm opinion against leaving the Braves changed this year. But he said he still hopes to finish his career in Atlanta.
The Braves, who began a three-game series with Toronto on Tuesday night, have lost seven straight games and 17 of 20 to fall to last place in the NL East. If the tumble in the standings changes the Braves' focus in the trade market from buyers to sellers, Smoltz said, "I'm open to whatever is best for the team."
Smoltz downplayed his comments that he originally made in an ESPN interview Sunday, saying he was only answering "the old if question, if they asked you to be traded."
"I said, 'Two years ago I wouldn't have thought about it,' " he said. "I'm not an idiot. If it happens, I'd be open to it. That's it."
The Braves hold an $8 million option on Smoltz, 39, for the 2007 season, the same salary the right-hander is earning this year.
"We don't want any of our main guys going anywhere," teammate Tim Hudson said. "We want to be in a situation where we will be buyers and not sellers and it's on our backs to make sure that doesn't happen. We've got to start turning it around and giving those guys reason to be buyers and not sellers."
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2493341
The 17-year veteran, who's played his entire career in Atlanta, said his once-firm opinion against leaving the Braves changed this year. But he said he still hopes to finish his career in Atlanta.
The Braves, who began a three-game series with Toronto on Tuesday night, have lost seven straight games and 17 of 20 to fall to last place in the NL East. If the tumble in the standings changes the Braves' focus in the trade market from buyers to sellers, Smoltz said, "I'm open to whatever is best for the team."
Smoltz downplayed his comments that he originally made in an ESPN interview Sunday, saying he was only answering "the old if question, if they asked you to be traded."
"I said, 'Two years ago I wouldn't have thought about it,' " he said. "I'm not an idiot. If it happens, I'd be open to it. That's it."
The Braves hold an $8 million option on Smoltz, 39, for the 2007 season, the same salary the right-hander is earning this year.
"We don't want any of our main guys going anywhere," teammate Tim Hudson said. "We want to be in a situation where we will be buyers and not sellers and it's on our backs to make sure that doesn't happen. We've got to start turning it around and giving those guys reason to be buyers and not sellers."
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=2493341
