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Free-agent righthander Pedro Martinez has signed a one-year contract with the Phillies, who will announce the signing tomorrow, a person with direct knowledge of the transaction said tonight.
Martinez could join the Phillies in Miami later this week to work out with the team before beginning a minor-league assignment.
Phillies sign Pedro | Philadelphia Inquirer | 07/14/2009 (http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/phillies/20090714_Phllies_sign_Pedro.html - broken link)
Why? For picking up a guy for cheap to see if he has anything left at all?
Chances are he's done. But if that's the case they may find that out before he ever gets through the minor league starts and joins them. There's even a decent enough chance that he'll get hurt before he ever does join them.
Or maybe he'll join them and have a little something left. Or maybe he'll join them and get clobbered, and for what they're investing in him that won't last too long.
At best they'll get something out of this since they need help for the rotation anyway. More than likely he won't be the answer and he'll be gone before he has a chance to cause them to lose any serious ground.
They're in a decent enough position right now to take a chance like this. They'll be in an even better position to do it if they land Roy Halladay. Signing Pedro is not going to make or break their season.
Even if Pedro Martinez isn't great, can you tell me he isn't an upgrade over Rodrigo Lopez or Antonio Bastardo? Besides, last I checked Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer and Cole Hamels aren't pitching too great either.
A former Cy Young winner and world series champion who was arguably the most dominant pitcher of his time is a welcome addition to a staff whose best pitcher right now is a rookie lefthander who opened the season as a reliever.
He has experience in pennant races and I know he'll be better than he was in New York in the sheer fact he has better coaching and is in a much more professional and winning enviornment.
Worst comes to worst and he sucks, he gets cut. He was signed to a minimal contract so it's not like a lot is invested in him too.
That's what happens when everyone needs pitching and there aren't too many arms available. Teams take their chances with these guys who just don't want to go away. The Phillies rotation being what it is, this guy on fumes is still probably gonna be better than most of what they already have, at least until he needs surgery, and who knows when that will be?
Being a Mets fan who got to watch Martinez pitch (or not pitch, as the case may be) over the last few seasons, I was surprised that the Phillies would have wanted him. But as Twista pointed out, he's probably not much of a risk when you consider how some of those other guys are pitching.
I confess, I confess: there's nothing more I'd like to see than Martinez imploding in a Phillies uniform. But one thing at a time. First let him pass their physical and enter the rotation.
I guess this is slighty +EV for the Phils, like others have said, if he sucks, you don't start him. I don't see any way he comes out and makes an impact down the strech however.
If Pedro has anything left, then the Phillies appear to have done a good thing. I wouldn't judge the move completely just yet. Let's see what real impact he has on the East race.
If the Phillies need pitching bad enough that they are willing to sign Martinez then that indicates that they aren't too happy with what they have down on the farm. So barring trading Ryan Howard and Chase Utley to Toronto for Roy Halliday *lol, I can understand the logic.
Plus from a public relations standpoint, there will be a great deal of curiosity as to how he does, which might sell a few extra tickets. And who knows? Maybe they'll catch lightning in a bottle and Pedro will be very serviceable for them for a month or two. If not, they didn't believe they had any better options in the bushes, so its kind of a wash.
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