Mets still hoping to land Martinez

[Baseball Guru]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylc=X3oDMTBpcDBuM2RlBF9TAzk1ODYxNzc3BHNlYwN0 aA--?slug=ap-mets-pedro&prov=ap&type=lgns

By MIKE FITZPATRICK, AP Sports Writer
December 10, 2004
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) -- Pedro Martinez is still available, and the New York Mets still believe they have a realistic chance to land him.

``Do we have hope of signing him? Yeah,'' general manager Omar Minaya said Friday at the winter meetings. ``The last I know he hadn't signed yet. Up until that time, he's one of the options.''

Trying to make a splash in the free-agent market, the Mets offered Martinez a $37.5 million, three-year contract last month. The proposal contains an option for a fourth season that could make the deal worth $50 million over four years.


That appears to be the biggest offer the 33-year-old ace has received, but it would be a surprise if Martinez chose to join a team coming off three consecutive losing seasons -- especially since the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees are still pursuing him.

The Red Sox offered a two-year deal to retain Martinez, then offered him salary arbitration, giving the World Series champions until Jan. 8 to re-sign him.

Yankees owner George Steinbrenner met with Martinez in Tampa, Fla., on Nov. 18, and Martinez also met in Florida with New York third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

Minaya said he spoke with Martinez's agent, Fernando Cuza, before arriving in Anaheim, and figures a few other teams must be interested, too. But the GM doesn't think the Mets' chances of acquiring the three-time Cy Young Award winner are slipping away.

``I don't see it like that,'' he said. ``You never feel confident in any negotiations. These winter meetings, you hope to get things done. (But) we're not going to put our team together here in the next 48 hours, I'll tell you that.''

Martinez went 16-9 in 33 starts last season, his most losses since 1996. His ERA rose from 2.22 to 3.90, the highest of his career.

The six-time All-Star went 117-37 with a 2.52 ERA for the Red Sox the past seven seasons and has a 182-76 record and 2.71 ERA in a 13-year major league career that also included stints with Los Angeles and Montreal.

Despite the Mets' obvious interest in Martinez -- and perhaps Sammy Sosa or Moises Alou, too -- Minaya wants to make sure the team keeps the big picture in mind.

``We are in transition, too. We're not just thinking about one year,'' he said. ``We are putting our energy into a lot of different plans. There are different ways of putting this club together. It's not just going to be about one guy.''

Minaya didn't rule out the possibility of upping the offer to Martinez, but he didn't want to tip his hand, either.

``In most negotiations, we have a threshold that we go to,'' Minaya said.

Has he reached that threshold with Pedro yet?

``I'd rather keep that to myself,'' he said.

[Liter22]

Hmm it would be intresting. I would rather have Mulder though.

[Baseball Guru]

I am hearing thru the grapevine that the Mets have possibly added a 4th year GUARANTEED to Pedro today:eek:

A 4th guaranteed year could be the pusher...

[oriolesfan23]

Mets nearing deal with Pedro
Guarantee of fourth year has Martinez close to signing
By Kevin T. Czerwinski / MLB.com


The Mets' willingness to guarantee a fourth year for Pedro Martinez may have been enough to pry him among from the Red Sox. (James Finley/AP)



ANAHEIM -- Omar Minaya remained tight-lipped early Monday afternoon as he prepared to leave the Winter Meetings and head back to New York amidst reports that the Red Sox had backed out of the Pedro Martinez sweepstakes.
Sources confirmed, however, that the Mets guaranteed a fourth year in their offer to Martinez, making the deal worth nearly $50 million. Boston, which reluctantly added a third year to their offer last week, initially appears unprepared to go that far with the hard-throwing right-hander though Fern Cuza, Martinez's agent, was still negotiating with both sides as the Meetings drew to a close.

"We're still working hard at it," Minaya said. "I don't think I'll have any announcements before I get out of here. We're still in it, though. There comes a time when you have to have closure and we're working hard to get that. We may not have something in hand but we've sped up the process in a lot of areas.

"Some gaps have been bridged as far as where we started off but I'm not going to comment, though, about any reports on a fourth year."




There was one rumor that Martinez had already agreed to take a physical for the Mets on Monday but that is highly unlikely, especially since Minaya said there was a less-than 50-percent chance that he would be making an announcement before he and the sizable Mets contingent hopped on a 3 p.m. flight back to the Big Apple

The only question that seems to remain is whether Martinez will want to stay in the comfort zone of Boston for three years as opposed to going to New York for four. Still, one agent patrolling the lobby at the Anaheim Marriott seemed to think the deal was done, saying that he was under the impression that Martinez was going to sign with the Mets.

Kevin Czerwinski is a reporter for MLB.com

[Baseball Guru]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=metspedromartinez&prov=st&type=lgns


December 13, 2004
BOSTON (Ticker) - Pedro Martinez reportedly is leaving Red Sox Nation for the lore of a guarantee.

The Boston Herald reported Monday afternoon that Martinez, the premier pitcher available on the free agent market, is expected leave the Red Sox and sign with the New York Mets.

According to the report, the Mets swayed the three-time Cy Young Award winner by guaranteeing him a fourth year on his contract, something the Red Sox reportedly would not do. The Mets deal reportedly is worth $56 million.

Neither the Mets nor the Red Sox could confirm the report.

Martinez always had professed his fondness for pitching in Boston, where he won two of his Cy Youngs and was an integral part of the Red Sox's first championship team in 86 years.

Not the dominant pitcher he once was, Martinez went 16-9 with a 3.90 ERA - the highest ERA of his career - this past season in helping the Red Sox to their first World Series title since 1918.

After anchoring the Red Sox's staff since his arrival in 1998, Martinez gave up the title of "staff ace" last season to Curt Schilling.

Martinez's best postseason performance came in Game Three of the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals when he pitched seven scoreless innings, putting the Red Sox on the brink of their championship.

Martinez, 33, has gone an astounding 117-37 in seven seasons with the Red Sox. He won Cy Young Awards in 1999 and 2000, when he went a combined 41-10 with a 1.90 ERA.

Signing Martinez would be a major move for the Mets, who have been criticized in recent years for not aggressively pursuing stars such as Vladimir Guerrero and Alex Rodriguez.

In New York, Martinez would be the ace of a rotation that also includes Kris Benson, Tom Glavine, Steve Trachsel and Victor Zambrano.

Losing Martinez also would be a major blow for the Red Sox, who reportedly lost out in the Carl Pavano sweepstakes to the rival New York Yankees. Boston did sign 41-year-old lefthander David Wells but is not expected to re-sign Derek Lowe, who won all three clinching games in the postseason.

The Red Sox reportedly have been pursuing Oakland's Tim Hudson and Florida's A.J. Burnett for their rotation.

Martinez began his career in the National League with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 1992 before moving to Montreal for four seasons. He won his first Cy Young with the Expos in 1997.

A six-time All-Star, Martinez owns a career record of 182-76 with a 2.71 ERA and 2,653 strikeouts in 388 games.

[Liter22]

I'm excited now. I can't wait to see this team next year. So I maybe in for a swift kick in the nuts like last year, but our staff when on is the best in the Majors I believe.

[Greymire]

I had to pop in here when I read this. Sorry Mets fans, but I think this is another major free agent blunder for the Mets. How many lousy signings have you guys too endure? I feel this would be a major mistake. His innings pitched were up last year, but so was his era. Now he will have to hit again which means his inning will probably drop again do to pinch hitting. 33 years old is not that old for pitchers anymore, but his fastball is not as quick at as once was. I just have not seen the same lights out Pedro that he was in 98-2000. I also question his attitude at times. If you guys are looking just to win it all next year, and he had a one year deal, I would say you guys got the man you want. For the long haul, I think this is a bad move and you all will be upset by the end of the contract. I hope for you all that I eat me words. I thought Benson would be a steal for you all and so far, well......

[Rockin Robin]

$56 mil is waaaaaaay too much to pay for Pedro IMO. Too tempermental and inconsistent. And I'm not all that crazy about guaranteeing four years to a 33 year old. When the contract is up and he's looking for a renewal, he'll be......Al Leiter's age.

But apparently Omar really wants him. So we'll just have to see what Pedro says. :notme:

[MudSnakes]

I heard a report on ESPN radio that said the Mets wanted to perform an MRI on Pedro's pitching shoulder, but he refused. He was willing to do a strength test, though.

I think the curse of the Met free agent signing will strike again.