MLB Hall of Famer John Smoltz Talks Red Sox' Direction, Dodgers Pressure and Offseason Golf in Exclusive Convo

Speaking live from the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Baseball Hall of Famer John Smoltz sat down with Fastball on FanNation's Brady Farkas for a wide-ranging interview including the mindset of the Boston Red Sox, the pressure on the Los Angeles Dodgers and much more.

With a little over two months until Opening Day and the return of his broadcasting job, Baseball Hall of Famer and Atlanta Braves' legend John Smoltz is soaking up as much time on the golf course as he possibly can.

This week, he's participating in the highly competitive Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando. The event features the stars of the LGPA Tour as well as several celebrities and athletes. Smoltz has won the celebrity portion of the event twice in the past and he sat down with Fastball on FanNation for a wide-ranging interview discussing the event, his golf game, and some of MLB's biggest storylines heading into 2024.

You can listen to the full interview at the bottom of this page and you can learn more about the tournament, which airs on Golf Channel and NBC from Thursday-Sunday, here:

The event will honor longtime Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, who tragically died in 2023. Wakefield was a teammate of Smoltz when the two played on the 2009 Red Sox.

"So sad. I will remember him forever just from the standpoint of the way he carried himself... getting to play my last year with Wake, just the ultimate professional..."

In addition, Smoltz spoke about the direction of the Boston Red Sox and how it points to a philosophical shift within the game of baseball. He also talked about the pressure on the Los Angeles Dodgers, who have spent more than $1 billion this offseason and signing Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Teoscar Hernandez, as well as trading for Tyler Glasnow.

The 56-year-old Smoltz was a 21 year veteran with the Braves, Red Sox and Cardinals. He won 213 games on the mound and also saved 154.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Full interview HERE:

Follow Fastball on FanNation on social media

Continue to follow our Fastball on FanNation coverage on social media by LIKING us on Facebook and by following us on Twitter @FastballFN.