Not long after his release from the Boston Red Sox, 42-year-old pitcher John Smoltz found a new team in St. Louis after signing a deal with the Cardinals on Wednesday.

“He had very little demands,” Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak told the media on a conference call. “He had no demands. From everything he had heard about this club, he was excited to take this opportunity. The reason for the start was just to get him work and know what we have.”

Mozeliak added that he expects big things from the former Ace, and he hopes the presence of a future HOFer helps some of the younger players on the team.

“When you have an opportunity to bring the expertise and experience of a future Hall of Famer to your club,” Moceliak said. “It’s easy to see why we are excited about the prospects of what John Smoltz can do to improve our team’s chances as we approach the stretch drive.”