Read Sports Geek and Loyal Homer’s arguments on whether or not the Philadelphia Phillies made a wise decision in signing Pedro Martinez.
If this discussion were taking place 10 years ago, there would be no debate. From the late 1990’s into the early 2000’s, Pedro Martinez was one of the most dominant pitchers to ever climb on to a pitcher’s mound.
He has won three Cy Young awards, has been named to eight different All-Star teams, has a World Series ring, and was a statistical leader in numerous categories over the span of that time. His career accomplishments are no less impressive, as he ranks among the greatest pitchers of all time with 214 career wins, 3117 strikeouts, and a career ERA of 2.91.
When Martinez signed with the New York Mets in 2005, he showed every indication that he was going to continue his dominance. He finished the 2005 season very strong, and began the 2006 season in very impressive fashion before a fluke injury placed him on the disabled list, becoming the first in a series of injuries that would soon raise questions about his durability on the field.
Since then, the Pedro Martinez that everyone knew (and feared) on the mound has been absent (both literally AND figuratively). When active, Martinez has been a shell of his former self. He pitched in only five games in a 2007 season that was drastically shortened by injuries, and the 2008 season was by far his worst season statistically.
He became a free agent following that dreadful season, but after having officially earned the reputation as being an injury-prone player he was unable to sign on with any new teams, and began the 2009 season without a team to call home.
It was during the 2009 World Baseball Classic (WBC) that a new rumor began to emerge. Martinez, who would be pitching for the Dominican Republic team during the tournament, claimed that he was back to full health, and was ready to successfully compete once again in the majors. His only start (thanks to an early exit from the tournament by the Dominican team) during the WBC served as a potential indication that all might not be lost in Martinez, as he threw six scoreless innings, striking-out six batters and not giving up a single walk in the process.
Despite that promising sign, it wasn’t until last week that Martinez was finally able to sign on with a MLB team, inking a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies worth about $1M, with an additional $1.5M in incentives.
So the question that I am posing today is this:
Have the Philadelphia Phillies made a wise decision in bringing Pedro Martinez into their organization?
While he spent the majority of his career as one of the most feared pitchers in baseball, he is now a 37 year-old man who has been plagued with injuries for the past four seasons, and has even begun his newest assignment on the 15-day disabled list.
Loyal Homer will argue that, despite the setbacks of the past few years, this was a wise decision by the Philadelphia Phillies. Sports Geek will argue that the Phillies made an unwise decision.
Will the real Pedro Martinez please stand up…
