|
MLB: Pedro Martinez reportedly to join NY Mets
WOW. All of a sudden NL East is gonna be a one competitive division next year. Braves have let several key pitchers sign with other teams in the off-season, and Phillies have regained their last year's calibre team that is for sure to contend for the division this year. What do you think of this move by Pedro?
Article with regards to Martinez joining the Mets:
http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/mlb/n...s_mlb&fext=.jsp
[courtesy of Major League Baseball]
NEW YORK -- Pedro Martinez, by all accounts, should officially be a Met by the end of the week.
One of those accounts came from Martinez himself, who told a television station in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday that he has agreed on a deal with New York, ending his seven-year stay in Boston.
"I only hope to honor my contract and to fulfill the expectations," Martinez said of his agreement with the Mets. "We got what we wanted. The team and I are happy with everything."
Apparently, all that stands in the way of his completing a four-year deal with New York, a pact that will pay him in the neighborhood of $52 million, is Martinez passing a physical sometime this week and the two sides figuring out how his salary will be paid out. The Mets, however, remained mum into Tuesday evening about Martinez, saying they had nothing to announce, while his agent, Fern Cuza, didn't have much to say either.
"When we get past a couple of hurdles, we'll be able to talk," Cuza said. "But until then, we really have no comment."
Complete coverage > Boston team officials, who spent much of Monday issuing statements indicating Martinez was about to become a Met, continued to wish the three-time Cy Young winner well on Tuesday. John Henry, the principal owner of the Red Sox, was gracious about Martinez in an e-mail to MLB.com.
"We wish Pedro nothing but the best going forward, both on the field and off the field," Henry said. "He pitched with every ounce of his being for the Red Sox over the course of 216 games. Some of those performances were among the most memorable in Red Sox history.
"Who will ever forget the 1999 All-Star Game? He has earned everything that he has accomplished, including his World Series ring and his reputation as one of the greatest who ever lived."
There were reports late Monday evening and into Tuesday morning, though, that Martinez's camp was balking at the idea of including a magnetic resonance image (MRI) as part of the physical. He's had a history of shoulder woes in recent years and it would appear that he is reluctant to disclose just how problematic his shoulder may be. But until the Mets or Martinez himself come forth and addresses the issue specifically, it's all speculation.
Martinez didn't miss a start in 2004 and threw 217 innings, the first time since 2000 that he topped the 200-inning plateau. Though he was 16-9, which would have made him the top winner on the Mets, his 3.90 ERA was his worst in nearly a decade and the highest of his career.
If there were any doubts about how his shoulder would hold up over the long haul, though, his last start of the season, in Game 3 of the World Series, could be telling. Martinez pitched seven shutout innings, retiring the final 14 batters he faced. That's the pitcher Minaya and the Mets feel they would be getting.
"If he's healthy over four years, that's an outstanding signing," Mets infielder Joe McEwing said. "Hopefully he's healthy and can help us win a championship. Any time you can sign a guy like Pedro, his presence is a plus. Do I have concerns about his health? No. I feel we've done all the research and he's healthy."
Teammate Vance Wilson also shot down any concerns about Martinez's shoulder, saying that the workload in the National League will be lighter and thus keep him fresh.
"I'm not concerned about his health," Wilson said. "Now he'll get to throw fewer pitches and get further into games and not have to face nine legitimate hitters like most American League pitchers."
Martinez, who has a career mark of 182-76 with a 2.71 ERA, would represent the biggest acquisition by the Mets since they traded for Mike Piazza in 1997. While Martinez appears set to return to the National League, he says his love for the team and the city to which he helped bring a championship will always be strong.
"My heart will always be with the Boston fans," Martinez said on Dominican television. "I hope that everyone who truly loves me will still support me now that I won't be with the Red Sox."
Now, however, he says he's ready to come to New York and be the ace.
"The bigger the contract, the bigger the responsibility," Martinez said.
___________________
Whenever you go and buy something, you are affecting someone somewhere, be it environment, a person, or a community - you're making a statement with what you buy. So make it a smart choice ... Its a big picture
|
