It's an interesting day for the Red Sox today. Given that they failed to successfully compete with they Yankees for Teixeira, they seem to have gone the Pittsburgh Pirates route in signing cheap, but flawed, free agents.

The Sox signed the "Woonsocket Rocket", Rocco Baldelli, and Braves legend John Smotz to contracts today. Both guys have the potential to be assets to the team if they can actually play next season.

Baldelli, of course, has a mitochondrial disorder that robs him of his stamina and he hasn't been able to play consecutive days. He seems like a 5th outfielder type and the Sox are going to have to pick up someone else to play when J.D. Drew inevitibly hits the disabled list. Baldelli can still hit and play the outfield well, so he can certainly help the team. Oh, and he got number 5, the first Sox player to wear it since Nomar's departure.

Smoltz is coming off arm surgery and ends his 21 year association with the Braves. The Sox now have six veteran starters (Beckett, Daisuke, Lester, Penny, Wake and Smoltz) plus at least two promising arms in the farm system (Buchholz and Bowden), so they appear to have plenty of depth in the rotation. Since it's almost certain someone is going to go down at some point, that's not a bad thing.

Oh, and if Smoltz rehabs in Pawtucket, I'm there.

The good thing is that the Sox didn't panic and overpay to make a big splash after not signing Teixeira. The signings of Penny, Baldelli and Smoltz are classic Theo low-risk, high-potential-reward deals. The money is relatively short if these guys don't work out, and if they contribute they'll be worth what they pay them.

I think the Sox still could use a big bat in the middle of the lineup, but they can certainly be competitive with the team as currently constituted.