When we last saw Pedro, he was pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies in the final game of the World Series. It was the game's biggest stage, and he was facing the game's most-storied franchise. In front of 50,000-plus fans at Yankee Stadium and millions more watching from their living rooms, Pedro fell short.
Pedro didn't make it past the fourth inning, allowing four Yankees runs on three hits and two walks, taking his second loss of the postseason, as the Yankees won 7-3 to win the Series in six and clinch their 27th world championship.
If you think Pedro was going to take it sitting down, you're crazy.
Of course, we haven't seen the last of him. At 38 years of age, he may be running on fumes, but given the competitive nature that's driven Pedro for the last 18 seasons, you know those fumes are going to be strong. Pedro is not just one of the great competitors of his generation — he's one of the great winners. It's too soon to deny him his right to keep on pitching.
We had reason to question Pedro's dedication a year ago. He began the 2009 season inactive and unsigned, occasionally considering a comeback with one team or another but not committing. It wasn't until the All-Star break when Pedro got serious. He signed with the Phillies on July 14, agreeing to a one-year deal for a prorated $2 million.
There will be no half-season this year. Pedro wants to be in it for the long haul. He wants to report in February and pitch straight through October. Ideally, he would like to return to the Phillies.
The hurler told the Philadelphia Inquirer earlier this week that the Phillies "treated me very well and they were very professional. They will always have the door open."
But for Pedro to be back in Philly, the interest has to be mutual. And while the pitcher has clearly expressed a desire to be back, it doesn't appear that the Phils have that same interest. They're focusing their offseason energy elsewhere.
The Phillies still have plenty of pitching depth, with or without Pedro. Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, J.A. Happ and Joe Blanton are all no-brainers to bring back to the rotation next season. Jamie Moyer may still have a little something left, and the Phils are holding out hope that Antonio Bastardo blossoms into a big league starter next season.
It's hard to tell where this leaves Pedro.
If the Phillies don't bother to bring him back, he'll have to look elsewhere. And in the National League, there are plenty of other teams that could use his services — but we haven't heard much on that front. Last month, rumors surfaced that the Dodgers and Cubs would be two of the suitors for Pedro's services next season. Nothing much came of it.
It's perplexing, really. With everything he's accomplished in the major leagues, how could Pedro Martinez not be a prized free agent this winter? After 219 wins, after 3,154 strikeouts, after three Cy Youngs and eight All-Star selections, how could no one want to take a chance on one of the all-time greats?
This winter, we keep hearing about the low-risk, high-reward pickups that general managers love. There's no shortage of such pitchers this year. The Rangers have already snatched up Rich Harden, but Ben Sheets, Erik Bedard and Justin Duchscherer are all still out there.
Doesn't Pedro deserve, at the very least, to be named in the same sentence with those guys? The risk is high with an aging hurler like Pedro, but you can't deny that the reward could be through the roof. Whether it's back in Philadelphia, in L.A., in Chicago, or anywhere else, Pedro deserves another chance to prove what he can do.
