New York Mets: Was Pedro Martinez Worth It?

On Dec. 15,  2004, Omar Minaya felt that signing Pedro Martinez would help revive a faltering Mets team from the ashes.

Little did he know that the deal may put them right back there.

Okay, that’s a little bit extreme. But is there a Mets fan out there that can disprove the fact Pedro Martinez has either been a ghost or a liability in his last three years of work?

The flame throwing, in-your-face pitcher of the Red Sox and Expos days is long gone. He’s been replaced by a soft tossing, over the hill, fifth starter that costs $14 million in 2008. If he goes six innings and gives up three runs, it’s a very successful outing. Low standards, huh?

Watching him out there every five days, which in the past couple of years has been a rarity, I feel like I’m watching a pitcher who’s desperate for a sign that he’s still the same guy. Gone is the death stare Pedro gave his batters on a 3-2 count, then dropping a change-up to make hitters of all caliber look foolish.

Now it’s an 86 MPH fastball up and away for ball four. As a baseball fan, it’s unfortunate, watching a star dwindle into irrelevancy. As a Mets fan, it’s even more unfortunate because every game he pitches is a big game.

So this raises the question: Was signing Pedro Martinez worth it? Forgetting about the rejuvenation of the franchise for a minute, let’s delve into strictly his on-field production.

He was fabulous in 2005, his first year, with a sub-three ERA and 217 innings pitched. In his last three years, he has mustered a total 257 innings with 17 wins, two more than his 2005 total.

He has proven to be a liability this year, with only five “quality” starts out of 18 games. Two games he pitched a full seven innings. The Mets are 7-11 in those 18 starts, and he’s posted a 5.5 ERA.

In four of his last five starts, coming in the time in which the Mets may very well be at a crossroads for their franchise, he’s given up four runs or more. When Jerry Manuel desperately needed innings, Martinez failed to deliver.

It’s seldom talked about, due to the other issues involving the Mets, but it's one that should be discussed. Has Pedro Martinez’s production validated the deal? Even with all the extra tickets he sold, was it worth it? Bulky deal, no playoff appearances, and three years of essentially nothing.

Martinez insists that he wants pitch again in 2009, and to whomever is willing to pay him millions and hold a slot in the rotation for him, I wish them luck.