Rumors are swirling about that the Philadelphia Phillies are watching Pedro Martinez pitch today for the second time to test his durability. He has purportedly raised his velocity from the mid-80’s to the low-90’s, and is still displaying consistent control and solid secondary pitches.
I wrote the other day about how acquiring Roy Halladay would obviously be a huge addition to the Phillies’ rotation, but the addition of Martinez would be a solid Plan B. He pitched very well in the World Baseball Classic, and there is no reason to believe he would not be an effective pitcher at the big league level: A 4.30 ERA out of the number four spot in the rotation would warrant a pro-rated $5 million contract, which is what he was supposedly asking for at the beginning of the season.
With Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton as the only two dependable arms, the Phillies are in desperate need of a new arm. They are allowing the Mets, Marlins and Braves to hang around. And the reason is their lack of pitching. They hit a ton and their defense is fine. But it is imperative that they acquire a new arm. Jamie Moyer is now officially over the hill and Chan Ho Park has not panned out.
Newcomer Rodrigo Lopez shows promise, but you can’t bank on him to keep it up.
I’m not saying the Phillies need to pick up Martinez. But I bet you that if they do, they will be very happy with the results.
Filed under: Uncategorized | Tagged: Atlanta, Braves, Chan Ho Park, Cole Hamels, Florida, Jamie Moyer, Joe Blanton, Marlins, Mets, New York, Pedro Martinez, Philadelphia, Phillies, Pitching, Rodrigo Lopez, Roy Halladay, World Baseball Classic
It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. Seems like Pedro is a lock for the Phillies right now. Obviously, most phans are wishing this addition does not ruin the Phillies’ chances of acquiring Halladay also.
Moyer being the 5th starter, when he was their 3rd guy at this point of the season last year, would really show the improvements they’ve made, with or without Halladay.
Don’t get me wrong though, I say they need to do what it takes to get a proven commodity like a Cy Young Award contender, when it’s available.
I think the Phils are doing the right thing by Pedro. But even by getting him, they should still be on the look for Halladay, Lee, Washburn, Bedard, etc.
Baseballbriefs.com tracking back Pedro Martinez to Phillies? Good Call?…
Baseballbriefs.com tracking back Pedro Martinez to Phillies? Good Call?…