WELL, THIS could ratchet up that Phillies-Mets rivalry.
Although both sides shot down a report out of the Dominican Republic that said a deal had been reached, the Phillies and Pedro Martinez are involved in serious negotiations that could land the future Hall of Famer with the club by the time they travel to Florida to open their post-All-Star break schedule next Thursday.
Fernando Cuza, who represents Martinez, said that he and the Phillies are in the midst of talks, and that his client is "pretty close" to deciding where he will resume his storied career.
"There is interest on both sides, I can tell you that," Cuza told the Daily News yesterday afternoon.
The Phillies are not the only team attempting to land the free agent, Cuza said, but he declined to name the others. A report in Candela Deportivo, a publication based in Martinez' native Dominican Republic, reported that the two sides had reached an agreement on a $4 million deal. Cuza laughed off that report, while Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. labeled it "false."
"He has not been signed," Amaro said.
Amaro later declined to comment when asked whether the sides had reached an agreement, but, as of last night, Martinez was not in Philadelphia and had not been scheduled for a physical, something that would have to be done before any deal is completed.
Martinez, 37, is a three-time Cy Young winner who is 214-99 with a 2.91 ERA in 17 big-league seasons, but his last healthy, productive season came in 2005, when he went 15-8 with a 2.82 ERA in 31 starts for the Mets. He went 9-8 with a 4.48 ERA in 2006, then had rotator-cuff surgery in the offseason. He returned to the Mets in September 2007, going 3-1 with a 2.57 ERA in five starts. But a hamstring injury hampered him last season, when he went 5-6 with a 5.61 ERA in 20 starts.
Representatives of the Phillies, including special assistant Charley Kerfeld, watched Martinez throw a simulated game in the Dominican Republic on Tuesday. Amaro has declined to comment on the club's evaluation of the outing, but a Phillies scout told ESPNDeportes.com that they were impressed.
Martinez told the Associated Press yesterday, "I feel the best I have in some time."
"The Phillies saw me this past Tuesday in a simulated game and I felt very good with my fastball and all my pitches," Martinez said.
Cuza said Martinez "has all of his options in front of him" and that he hoped to come to a decision shortly.
"I would say Pedro is getting close," Cuza said.
The Phillies start a four-game series Thursday in Florida against the second-place Marlins, who entered last night trailing them by two games in the National League East. Cuza said Martinez' goal is to be ready to pitch once the All-Star break ends. If he joins the Phillies, he eventually would slide into the rotation spot occupied by Rodrigo Lopez, who pitched Wednesday but was removed from the game after the fifth inning with shoulder inflammation.
The tightness Lopez experienced during the game caused the velocity on his fastball to decrease from the high 80s to the low 80s. He said yesterday that he was "fine" and that he intended to throw a bullpen session today.
"I feel much, much better," said Lopez, who had elbow surgery in 2007 and missed the rest of that year and most of 2008.
Phillies manager Charlie Manuel said he expects Lopez to be ready to pitch if needed after the break. He has allowed four runs in 11 1/3 innings in two starts since taking over for the injured Antonio Bastardo (shoulder), who himself was filling in for the injured Brett Myers.
If Martinez is added to the mix, Lopez almost certainly will be out of the rotation.
That doesn't mean the Phillies will stop looking to upgrade their rotation. Manuel was lukewarm earlier in the week when asked about the possibility of adding Martinez to the rotation. The manager would like to see the club add a starter who can pitch deep into games. He said he saw Martinez more as a pitcher who could pitch through five or six innings.
With the Phillies maintaining an open line of communication with the Blue Jays, who are shopping superstar Roy Halladay, that could happen regardless of any deal with Martinez.
But Amaro said Wednesday he would not part with what he views as the organization's elite prospects. If Martinez is in the fold, it could make it easier to maintain such a stance. *
