Now, as the 38 year-old Martinez eyes yet another comeback to Major League Baseball, there’s one question that could be stirring around the Red Sox front office.
Should we bring him back?
One of the greatest right-handed pitchers in baseball history, Martinez has a career record of 219-100 with a superb 2.93 ERA. He has a career 3.46 postseason ERA in 16 appearances.
When he signed with the Phillies last year, many scouts questioned whether he would still be able to be effective, as his fastball velocity had dropped considerably.
Martinez proved all the doubters wrong, going 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA in nine starts for the Phils. And even though he lost Games 2 and 6 to the Yankees in the World Series, Martinez was a valuable arm for Philadelphia during their stretch run.
With all the injuries the Red Sox’ pitching staff has suffered this year, another competent pitcher in the rotation, or even the bullpen, certainly could not hurt.
Josh Beckett has been sidelined since May 19 with back pain, and the right-hander isn’t due back to the Red Sox’ rotation for at least a couple of weeks. If and when he does come back, Beckett won’t be of much use to the Red Sox if his 7.29 ERA does not decrease significantly.
On Saturday, Daisuke Matsuzaka was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a strained forearm. The Japanese-born right-hander has been inconsistent so far in 2010, exemplified by his eight-walk outing against Kansas City just one start after his eight-inning, one-hit performance against Philadelphia.
While Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz have both been All-Star quality pitchers this year, and Jon Lackey and Tim Wakefield are proven veterans with playoff experience, it may be prudent for the Red Sox to add Martinez to the mix.
He probably wouldn’t cost much, either. Last year, Martinez signed a one-year, $2 million prorated deal with the Phillies. That would most likely be his going rate this summer.
Pedro is arguably the greatest pitcher in Red Sox history, having won back-to-back AL Cy Young Awards in 1999 and 2000.
He would have no problem fitting in the second time around.
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