Good Bye Pedro!
Obviously this is sad news from a fan’s vantage point. I've never been in that locker room, so I do not have any idea to what extent the whole prima donna rep is deserved or was a distraction. I do not have to meet payroll, so I really do not care about a few million here or there. All I know is that at his peak Pedro was the best, most jaw-dropping, and most exciting pitcher I have ever seen. All I know is that game 5 of the 99 Indians series is the most awesome display I have ever witnessed (albeit on radio, as I was on the road, alas), even moreso than Curt this postseason. All I know is that on a pure numbers basis Pedro was better than anyone of his generation, but more than that, he was better than Koufax and Gibson and Ford and anyone else you care to mention -- and he did it in an era of lower mounds, smaller parks, and, yes, juiced hitters. All I know is that I'll feel a little sick to see him in a Mets uniform, in any uniform other than for the Sox.
But further, as a fan, I wonder about the impact for next year. I realize that being hamstrung with bad contracts is a recipe for disaster, but I also know that we have a lot more slack in our payroll than the Royals or A's or Twins, and a bad contract does not damage us like it does those sorts of teams. Meanwhile, there is a distinct possibility that of those four years Pedro may well have two more Cy caliber seasons, which makes it a bad contract for only the years he is not dominant or is hurt. That is not as burdensome as, say, Sean Green's (Or Jason Giambi’s) contract. We have a giant, gaping hole in the middle of our pitching staff, and Pedro strung it along to the extent that now the pickings are slim. I love the idea of Ben Sheets in a Sox uniform, but is that viable? Are the Brewers really going to get rid of their best young arm before the 2005 season even starts? The word is that their getting rid of him at the deadline is inevitable, but who knows? Surely the Brewers do not want to be seen as tanking 2005 already. But if they are going to be parting with him in July, would it not make sense to go after him full stop now rather than when everyone is making their late-season run? And of course finally, could this have an effect on the Varitek signing? On the one hand, perhaps it frees up a couple of million to close what appears increasingly simply to be a difference in money.
As for Pedro and the Mets? Well, I think Pedro is going to regret this move. He will forever be a God in Boston, but as a current player, that recedes into the past tense a bit. No more will we boil with that passion for him. He is not going to feel that amidst the empty blue and orange seats in that s***hole in Queens. How is it going to feel when the Mets are 12 games out in July and he is pitching before 15,000 fans furious (with the helpful prodding of the back pages of the tabloids, of course) that their huge acquisition has already been on the DL once and has a 7-5 record with an era hovering near 4? That may not happen -- Pedro may indeed end up as a star back in the NL, facing fresh victims and an anemic pitcher every nine batters. But even if he is awesome will he ever match what he will find in the Fens? Not a prayer, and as someone who has played in Montreal he ought to damned well know as much.
And what are the Mets thinking? Never mind the money – overpaying by a few million may not be the most devastating part of this contract. But what of these rumors that the Mets may not make him take an MRI, despite rumors that his labrum is either torn or frayed up to 90%? The Mets are drooling retards if they let him take a watered down physical with no MRI. It's one thing for the Sox to accept status quo ante. He's been ours, we know what to do with him, and this is expected when you re-sign your own players. But the Mets are going to guarantee a fourth year of a $50-56 million contract and they are not going to check that labrum? If they are that stupid, Pedro needs to sign with them right now and not look back. But I cannot believe that Manaya is going to be that colossally dumb. Then again, these are the Mets.
So who, other than the Sheets wet dream, is out there? Odalis Perez and Matt Clement seem to be on everyone's lips, and Beckett and Hudson are skirting the periphery. Any of those would be ok. None of them (save for Sheets) thrills me, but then again, with our offense, if we can get a younger guy and put him in that 2 slot behind Schill, maybe it can work out. This is not catastrophic for the Sox, to be sure. Even without Pedro the projected pythagorean numbers give us a 98-99 win ballclub, and that is assuming we do not improve at all from where we are. But that does not make this signing any less sad from a fan’s perspective, and at least for the time being we are a worse baseball team as a consequence.
Pedro Martinez has earned a place in the Red Sox pantheon. He is the greatest pitcher I have ever seen. He was a key component for bringing them the World series title this year. This is a business and he can make whatever decision he feels is best for him without recriminations. But I think he is going to regret it.