Red Sox Legend Pedro Martinez: I Asked for Yankees Trade 3 Times During MLB Career

Three-time Cy Young Award-winning pitcher Pedro Martinez revealed on Thursday that he demanded a trade to the New York Yankees on three separate occasions throughout his Hall of Fame career.

"I asked for a trade three times to play with the New York Yankees," said Martinez (h/t MLB insider Héctor Gómez).

This was a surprising admission from a player whose best years of his career came with the Boston Red Sox, ranking No. 3 on the team's all-time strikeouts list.

Martinez spent seven seasons with the Red Sox, starting in 1998 and ending in 2004. He made 201 starts in his Boston career, showcasing his dominance at every opportunity. As a member of the Red Sox, he posted a 2.52 ERA with 1,683 strikeouts in 1,383.2 innings pitched.

He held the lowest ERA in the majors in four separate seasons with the organization, racking up a career-high 313 strikeouts in 1999. Martinez also played a significant role on Boston's title-winning 2004 team, allowing zero earned runs in seven innings pitched during a Game 3 World Series win over the St. Louis Cardinals to help the Red Sox break their infamous 86-year streak without a Fall Classic victory.

Boston's rivalry with New York was especially fierce during the 2000s, with Martinez playing a role. He was even part of a physical altercation with former Yankees bench coach Don Zimmer in 2003.

Martinez has also been critical of New York as the team has struggled in recent years, calling out the Yankees in 2023 after they fell to 60-60 on the season.

"I remember watching the Yankees early in the season and when they were going well, they looked so confident," he said, per Matt Ehalt of the New York Post. "It was like watching a bulldog beat up on a chihuahua when they were playing those teams. Now, they look like the chihuahuas to any other team, especially a good team like the Atlanta Braves."

While it's unclear how many of his trade requests occurred during his time in Boston, Red Sox fans are certainly happy to know that he ultimately didn't end up playing for their rival.