sportsjabber.net

Reports are surfacing now that the Phillies have indeed signed free agent pitcher Pedro Martinez.

Martinez was reportedly asking for between $4-5 million, but settled with a one-year deal for only $1 million with a possible $1.5 million tied into performance and time played.

Martinez apparently realizes that the Phillies may be his last chance to finish his career with a World Series ring.

GM Ruben Amaro, Jr. has declined to say for sure whether or not Martinez has signed, or even passed his physical, but speaking in hypotheticals did say that Martinez “absolutely” would need two or three games in the minors before entering the rotation.

Pedro wasn’t great last season, going 5-6 with an ERA of 5.61. He says that injuries and the death of his father contributed to his sub-par season.

Apparently Amaro does not believe that Martinez is the absolute answer for this team (he’d be a fool if he did), and did not rule out going after a pitcher, whether that be a starter or bullpen guy.

Amaro went one to say, “There are guys we will not trade.”

One can assume that Kyle Drabeck and J.A. Happ fall into that “untouchable” category. Making those guys untouchable probably breaks any deal with Toronto, as they’d most like want one or both of those guys if they were to part ways with ace Roy Halladay.

Amaro did let out that he has spoken with about 20 teams, or 2/3 of the league, concerning possible trades.

Whether or not anything will materialize is a different story, and being a good P/R guy, Amaro wouldn’t say definitively one way or the other.

The bright side is that while Martinez is probably not a long-term answer, he is more than capable of helping this rotation for the time being.

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By Bob Cunningham
Writer/Blogger, SJ Contributing Author