SAN DIEGO — John Smoltz wants to make one point perfectly clear: He is not finished.

Smoltz, the former NL Cy Young Award winner, joined the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday for the opener of a four-game series against the San Diego Padres and said he is ready to resurrect his career.

The 42-year-old Smoltz signed with the NL Central-leading Cardinals on Wednesday after he cleared waivers following his release from the Boston Red Sox.

"The reasonable expectation is you are going to get a nasty guy on the mound who will regain his nastiness," Smoltz said before the game. "Otherwise, I wouldn't be here."

Smoltz, who holds the record with 15 playoff wins, said his arm is not "totally there. But when I say I'm close, I really believe I am close."

But Smoltz knows he will have to improve dramatically on his dreadful performance with the Red Sox, where he was 2-5 with an 8.32 ERA after attempting a comeback from shoulder surgery.

"The only thing I can't do is justify the results, but they weren't as bad as they looked," he said. "But I felt I was close. I just didn't make the mechanical adjustments physically."

Smoltz has been told by St. Louis that he will make two starts, including Sunday against the Padres, when the Cardinals will evaluate his progress.

Although he has not been given any guarantees beyond those starts, Smoltz said he would pitch where he can do the most good, even if it means a move to the bullpen. The Cardinals have a need for both a fifth starter and a setup man for closer Ryan Franklin.

Smoltz pointed to St. Louis' ability to be patient with him as a main reason for signing with the team that leads the Central by six games over the Chicago Cubs heading into Thursday night.

"If I had to come to a team and be perfect the very first or second time, it wasn't going to be a good fit," he said. "If the luxury was there to show some patience and give me some innings, then the upside was going to be worth it."

Detroit, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Texas and Florida also were interested in Smoltz.