John Smoltz, RHP, St. Louis Cardinals
Status: Finding old, dominant form in St. Louis
Basics: 3-5, 6.71 ERA, 1.49 WHIP, 48 Ks in 51.0 IP
Key Stats: Is 1-0 with a 0.82 ERA in 2 NL starts
What to Watch For: Continued effectiveness
Other Notes: Needed a change of scenery, perhaps a return to the National League, to get back to form … immediately jumps into NL pennant race for one of the league’s best teams … has great value down the stretch because of lengthy track record, good strikeout rate and high win probability … rough stretch with Boston is a thing of the past
Verdict: Add and give him a permanent roster spot in all formats

Young pitchers and recovering veterans are the theme this week, since a handful of each offer the best potential value on the waiver wire. The must-know name is Atlanta Braves phenom Tommy Hanson, who will make his much-anticipated 2009 debut Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Another youngster, Detroit Tigers right-hander Rick Porcello, has been pitching effectively in the big leagues all season. He is not a perfect addition to a fantasy rotation — he faces an innings limit and has a low strikeout rate — but Porcello has a lot of talent and a knack for earning decisions in his starts.

Injured veterans John Smoltz and Kelvim Escobar are rehabbing right now, and we know exactly what both have to offer when healthy. Of course, there are questions about just when they’re healthy and how long they can stay that way, but those risks are what makes them so widely available in fantasy leagues. Take on the injury risk, and there are huge potential rewards. Read more »

Yes, we know there were no free agent profiles for Week 2, for a couple of reasons. Time got in the way, and there were really no changes from our original group of suggestions. As a testament, either to our ingenuity last week or our continued ignorance, eight of the 10 on our Week 1 list have carried over to Week 3.

The two names since removed are Mike Pelfrey, who is dinged up, and David Purcey, who is showing the inconsistencies we originally feared. It seemed like a good time to replace them with advisories on youngsters Ricky Romero and Tommy Hanson. Read more »

This early in the season, chasing starting pitchers on the waiver wire is a classic risk vs. reward proposition. Starts and innings limits are so far off, deploying spot starters is a questionable strategy in season-long roto leagues. In weekly leagues, though, playing matchups is a sound play and choosing the right free agents is key in making that strategy work.

Some starters offer good matchup potential AND a shot at sticking on fantasy rosters all season. Those are the kinds of pitchers we’ve tried to identify below. The best way to treat free agent starting pitchers is to give them a start or two, determine how much leash they have, then figure out whether to keep them around or cut them loose and start over again. Those who played this strategy with Cliff Lee last season were rewarded with epic results. Read more »

One has sure-fire Hall of Fame credentials. The other is a strong candidate for enshrinement. Both John Smoltz and Trevor Hoffman are capping their careers in new cities, inking one-year deals with the Boston Red Sox and Milwaukee Brewers, respectively, on Thursday.

While Smoltz, recovering from shoulder surgery, is in better position to chase a championship in Boston, Hoffman was simply in pursuit of a job and found one that paid $6 million for the 2009 season. Both, in our estimation, did well for themselves. Read more »

Rafael Soriano is officially the Atlanta Braves’ closer, taking over the job when it was announced that John Smoltz would have season-ending shoulder surgery. While just returning himself from an elbow injury, Soriano will have to perform to hold off Manny Acosta, and potentially Mike Gonzalez, to stay in the ninth-inning role.

Effectiveness has never been the problem for Soriano, who has pitched to a 2.90 ERA and 257 strikeouts in 251.0 career innings. Health, however, has been. Soriano had season-ending elbow surgeries in 2004 and 2005, so how his arm holds up will dictate how he fares as a stopper. Read more »

Closer candidates Rafael Soriano and John Smoltz are both working through rehab assignments in efforts to return to the Atlanta Braves bullpen. Smoltz (shoulder) and Soriano (elbow) are neck and neck in the race to come back, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that both will have tests to pass on Tuesday before doing so.

Smoltz will make another rehab appearance for Class-A Rome, according to the AJC, and Soriano will throw a bullpen session. If both are setback-free, they could join the Braves in Milwaukee, where they kick off a seven-game road trip on Tuesday. Read more »

Atlanta Braves pitcher John Smoltz was placed on the disabled list last week and when he returns, he won’t be in the starting rotation. Smoltz text-messaged the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last week and told them that he would return as the club’s closer.

“I am planning on coming back as a reliever first, and more than likely for the rest of this year,” Smoltz told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution last Wednesday. Read more »