With Jason Varitek rejoining the Red Sox in an advisory role this year, speculation has increased that one of his teammates from the glory days, pitching great Pedro Martinez, could be next.
Martinez has been rumored to be ready to work with Boston again, and now Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington says the righty, who pitched his last MLB game for the Phillies in 2009, would be welcome back anytime.
“We’ve had discussions,” Cherington told MLB.com on Saturday. “He knows there is a role waiting for him when the time is right for him.”
Martinez has talked with the Red Sox about becoming an instructor, and while nothing was imminent this weekend, Martinez showed an understanding of the Boston staff that could make him valuable to the club in the future.
“I saw a couple of things mechanically for [Jon] Lester” last season, Martinez told MLB.com. “[Clay] Buchholz — it’s just a matter of staying healthy. I think he’s maturing enough, and he’s getting to where he needs to get. They both can be the ace of the team any time.”
Martinez said he hasn’t had a chance to talk with Lester about his struggles this past season, when Lester went 9-14.
“I wish I had more time to actually tell him what I saw,” Martinez said. “Hopefully one of these days we’ll catch up.”
The Red Sox have former pitching coach John Farrell back in the fold as manager, but with plenty of work to do on the pitching front, they may be hoping Martinez takes their offer and drops by sooner rather than later.
Click here to see what Martinez thinks about David Ortiz’s reported contract>>
