How Pedro Martinez Could Be Returning to New York

With the recent struggles of Yankee pitcher Chien-Ming Wang, and, if he continues to struggle, I think the Yankees should consider signing Pedro Martinez. Just give me a chance to explain.

The concern with Wang might be, and hopefully is, his mechanics. Manager Joe Girardi and pitching coach Dave Eiland are sure to be closely monitoring Wang after a pair of terrible starts, leaving him with an 0-2 record and an alarming 28.93 ERA.

Now it's not panic time or anything; I mean, he just came of a freak injury and before the injury, he was one of the best pitchers in the American League, posting a 38-13 record from '06-'07. But this is an issue and it needs to be solved. If it were up to me, I would let Wang finish up April and see how he does.

Now, on to Pedro!

I know it seems a bit far-fetched, but this is just in case Wang cannot fix his issues.

Pedro has been plagued by many injuries the past few years and, there still are questions about his health. But after a strong performance in the World Baseball Classic, Pedro  proved his critics wrong and is now looking for work. 

Pedro, during the WBC, showed flashes of the brilliant pitcher he was a few years back. He displayed a fastball in the low-90s and his usually devastating circle-change and slider were also on display. These are all signs of a healthy and determined Pedro Martinez.

And who knows, maybe Pedro wants to be in that lime light again and stick it to the Red Sox, but then again, it's nearly impossible to tell what Pedro is thinking.

Think of it: a pitcher with postseason success, unlike Wang, being the fourth pitcher on the New York Yankees. With the current lineup and All-World closer Mariano Rivera, Pedro would be a threatening addition to the club.

If Wang does not fix his problems and Pedro is still on the market, I think the Yankees need to seriously consider him, but not before they consider these three scenarios:

1. Wang is completely done; no command or confidence.
2. Phil Hughes is not quite ready.
3. Pedro is willing to accept a league minimum contract with incentives that could increase his salary to $6 million or so.

After the tragic death of Nick Adenhart, I heard that the Angels were interested in signing Pedro, and that he rejected an offer from them. I'm not sure exactly how much dialogue occured between the parties, but I do know this: both John Lackey and Ervin Santana are on the DL, and rookies are filling their roles.