After playing all 20 of his major league seasons with the Atlanta Braves, the only pitcher in baseball history with 200 wins and 150 saves is starting over at age 41 with the Red Sox.

"I'm as determined and I'm as focused as I've ever been," Smoltz said Tuesday. "The uniform has changed. The desire won't change."

The right-hander who says he's "doing great" after major shoulder surgery finalized his $5.5 million, one-year agreement, confident he can still contribute and eager to pitch beyond 2009.

"Age," he said, "is just a number."

Smoltz was gregarious and well-dressed with a white shirt, gray suit, red power tie — and dark blue Red Sox cap with a big red "B" on it — as he said he wasn't bitter about his departure from the Braves, the team he first started pitching for in 1988.

"They were taking a different direction and, for the most part, left me with really no options," Smoltz said. "Atlanta will always be my home. I've raised four children there and built a school. That won't change."

But, he said, "we were way apart."

The Red Sox were much more aggressive in trying to sign Smoltz than the Braves were in wanting to keep him.

He never thought of retiring and other teams did show interest, Smoltz said. But he was especially impressed that Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell, vice president of player personnel Ben Cherington and assistant trainer Mike Reinold traveled to Atlanta in early December to talk with him, watch him pitch and check his physical condition.

Smoltz also was attracted by the chance to play for a contender in front of passionate fans and by the team's plan to be patient with his recovery. The Red Sox can afford to do that with a strong starting rotation of Josh Beckett, Jon Lester, Daisuke Matsuzaka, Brad Penny and Tim Wakefield. Young starters Clay Buchholz and Michael Bowden also have made significant offseason progress.