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Pedro Martinez may be coming to New York, but not to the Yankees, the team that first talked to him. The Mets are reported to have made a 3 year $38 million offer to the 33 year-old right hander. The offer tops one from the Red Sox for 2 years and $25.5 million. In mid-November, Martinez told George Steinbrenner that he wanted to be a Yankee, but now a Met? He would be leaving a team that just won the World Series to join a team that has been less than stellar in the NL East.
The offer, if accepted, would be the first splash for GM Omar Minaya (we're not counting the Kris Benson signing), who has dabbled in trading for Sammy Sosa and trading Mike Piazza. Is this the right move for the Mets? Martinez, who would surely hear more "Who's your daddy?" chants or shirts, has signs that his abilities may be on the decline - he lost 5 mph off his fast ball last season. If he signs with the Mets, Martinez will become the rotation's ace, joining Kris Benson, Tom Glavine, Victor Zambrano and Steve Trachsel. Al Leiter, a mainstay of the Mets is unlikely to return in 2005 and may sign with the Yankees.
Of course, this could all be a ruse to dive Martinez's price up with an offer from a team in the nation's largest media market.
Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images
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Since the Mets are in the habit of making expensive mistakes, if the Mets are successful in signing Pedro, then he most certainly will have his worst seasons as a Met.
I don't know if he's worth the money that the Mets are throwing at him, especially for 3 years. But there's still a part of me that thinks that if Pedro went to Shea, his first year could be a throwback to vintage pedro, Cy young and all (a la Clemens). He's still a good pitcher and NL lineups haven't seen his pitching in what, 7 years?
he would also greatly benefit from the pitcher in the #9 spot, since he has been having trouble getting past 100 pitches per start in the last year or two. playing in the nl would allow him to go deeper in games, whether its with the mets or any other nl team. then again, he would have to come to bat, which might not be a good thing for a pitcher notorious for his headhunting ways.......
This would help the Mets, but it's a double-win for the Yankees as well... he's not on the Red Sox (who are not as good a team without him, no matter how high-maintenance he is), and he's not on the Yankees (who won 101 games without his baggabe). Go Omar!
I bet the Sox are thrilled the Mets made him an offer - he's a seven-inning, number two starter who'll get paid ace money because of his career numbers, not because of what he's capable of now. If he was on the Yankees - or any other AL contender - the Sox would have to face him two or three times a year. Despite his career being on the downside, he's still capable of some great starts. If he goes to the Mets it will belike sending him to Siberia - out of sight, out of mind. Plus, we Sox fans can still root for him if he goes to the NL.
"he would have to come to bat, which might not be a good thing for a pitcher notorious for his headhunting ways......."
Well, it sure didn't seem to throw Clemens off too much in 2004.
clemens has much bigger balls and much more respect in the league than pedro does.
"clemens has much bigger balls"
Ah yes, when you don't have empirical evidence, it's onto iffefutable schoolyard vulgarity!
In any case, Pedro has already pitched, and prospered (1997 Cy Young for Montreal), in the National League. His ERA+ (League Average ERA divided by his ERA) for his National league career: 153, 151, 123, 120, 117, 221(!).
"iffefutable"
Yikes. Obviously, that should be irrefutable. Damn pre-coffee hours.