It’s Official: Pedro Martinez Signs With Phillies
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At the expected Wednesday news conference, veteran righthanded starting pitcher Pedro Martinez was, as expected, introduced as the latest addition to the Phillies pitching staff.
AP Sports Writer Dan Gelston reports on the Martinez signing for Yahoo sports;
Martinez agreed to a $1 million, one-year contract with the Phillies…
The team put the three-time Cy Young winner on the 15-day disabled list with a shoulder strain. Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has confidence Martinez will be ready to pitch in two to three weeks.
Martinez went 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA for the New York Mets last year. He pitched in the World Baseball Classic before this season.
“The last few years have been horrible,” Martinez said “I haven’t felt the way I wanted to feel. I wasn’t the same Pedro you were accustomed to seeing.”
Martinez can earn up to $1.5 million in incentives. The eight-time All-Star will need to make at least a few starts in the minors before he’s ready to join Philadelphia’s depleted rotation.
The 37-year-old Martinez was in good spirits, cracking jokes and telling stories before holding up his No. 45 jersey. He topped 91 mph in workouts scouted by the Phillies and believes his injury problems are in the past.
He said he was picky about what team he wanted to pitch for, and spurned other organizations and minor-league contracts to pitch for the Phillies. Martinez hoped the Mets would show interest, but understood why they passed.
Martinez’s career thus far has spanned over 17 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal, Boston and the Mets. In 2004, he and Curt Schilling contributed to the Red Sox World Series win.
Martinez’s addition to the Phillies staff will not distract the from the team’s pursuit of Toronto’s All-Star Roy Halladay.
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