Phillies Sign Pedro Martinez
10:35pm: Andy Martino reports that the Phillies signed Pedro.
8:39pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki has confirmed that a press conference introducing Pedro as a member of the Phillies will take place tomorrow.
6:26pm: Gordon Edes, who first broke the news on Pedro's successful physical, now has a full story up on Yahoo! Sports. It's a nice roundup of the events leading towards Wednesday's press conference.
5:32pm: Martino reports the deal is worth around $1MM, with another $1.5MM in incentives. The Phillies are expected to make it all official with a press conference tomorrow.
4:41pm: Pedro Martinez passed his physical with the Phillies and is expected to sign a deal with the defending World Champions soon, according to Yahoo's Gordon Edes.
Phillies GM Ruben Amaro Jr. had no comment on Edes' report, according to Andy Martino of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Pedro Martinez Rumors: Tuesday
Pedro Martinez starts his physical with the Phillies in about 20 minutes. Here are the latest rumors on the subject:
- ESPN.com's Jayson Stark says it's not a "slam dunk" that Pedro will pass the physical, but it's the only obstacle he faces and all signs point to an agreement in the near future.
- It's no surprise that David Murphy and Paul Hagen of the Philadelphia Daily News hear Pedro will sign if he passes his physical.
- Pedro told TV reporters that his poor showing last season was partially because of his father's death and his own health problems, according to Murphy.
Pedro Martinez To Take Physical For Phils
2:57pm: Martino says Pedro's physical will take place tomorrow morning at 10am CST.
11:52am: Andy Martino reports that Pedro landed in Philly for his physical.
10:37am: Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports hears that the physical will take place tomorrow, which means Pedro could sign as soon as Wednesday. Pedro, who should be ready for the majors in about three weeks, is expected to sign for less than $5MM prorated.
8:42am: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki says Pedro will fly to Philadelphia today and take a physical today or tomorrow. Martinez should sign in the coming days if he passes his physical.
1:35am: WCAU-TV's John Clark is reporting that Pedro Martinez "may be touching down in Philadelphia Monday to meet with Phillies officials." Tentative phrasing, but enough to catch ESPN's eye. That Marc Stein ESPN article credits Jayson Stark with some info as well:
After arriving, it is believed Martinez will take a physical, which appears to be the final obstacle standing in the way of the 37-year-old right-hander signing with the Phillies for the remainder of the season.
I'm thinking Pedro will get a couple million bucks, and we'll all talk about the prorated amount to make him feel better. If a deal is reached, does Martinez have enough left in the tank to bring down the Phils' 5.04 rotation ERA? The team's high-octane lineup would be paired with a rotation of Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, J.A. Happ, Jamie Moyer, and Martinez. I'm curious to see where Pedro would slot into the playoff rotation should the Phillies' four-game division lead hold up.
More food for thought: ESPN's Buster Olney said Thursday that a Pedro signing wouldn't affect a Roy Halladay pursuit. Would Moyer be the odd man out in the event of a deal, despite the money owed to him through 2010?
Odds And Ends: Chapman, Nats, Buehrle
More links for the afternoon…
- ESPN.com's Buster Olney believes the Phillies should let the Blue Jays take three A prospects, one B prospect and one C prospect for Roy Halladay.
- The Nationals point to the positives in this letter to their fans.
- Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman chose an agent, according to the AP (via ESPN).
- As Mike Viera of the Washington Post notes, Mike Rizzo's goals for the 2009 Nationals aren't based on win totals.
- Mark Buehrle told Derrick Goold that he'd like to wear a Cardinals jersey for one day.
- And there are some radio appearances to let you know about. I'll be on 1570 The Score at 4:05 CST, 830 KLAA in LA at 6:05 CST and FirstInning.com at 7:05 CST.
- And check out my thoughts on Roy Halladay over at NESN.com.
Odds And Ends: Acta, Cubs, Halladay
Some links to start the week off…
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post doesn't believe the Mets would fire Jerry Manuel and call on Manny Acta.
- ESPN.com's Keith Law says Acta's firing reflects worse on the Nats than it does on Acta.
- Jon Heyman of SI.com says Acta will get another managerial job somewhere.
- Brandon Inge told Chris Iott of MLive.com that the Tigers haven't played their best, even though they're in first place.
- John Smallwood of the Philadelphia Daily News says the Phillies have a much better chance at repeating as World Series champions if they acquire Roy Halladay.
- Sherman points out that the Mets would have to play .640 ball the rest of the way to win 90 games. Doesn't seem likely.
- Bloomberg.com reports that the Cubs could file for bankruptcy to complete the sale of the team.
- Check out the first part of an ongoing series at NESN.com in which I discuss hot rumors around the majors. Click the link for thoughts on Roy Halladay, the Red Sox and the Yankee rotation and check back tomorrow for more.
Heyman On Deadline Deals
Jon Heyman of SI.com believes Roy Halladay will be traded before the end of the month. Here are some teams that could pursue him:
- The Phillies have the right combination of money, prospects and need to go after Doc.
- The Rangers probably don't have the money to take on the $14.25MM Halladay makes this year.
- It's hard to see the White Sox obtaining Halladay without surrendering Gordon Beckham in the deal.
- Heyman considers Beckham as close to untouchable as it gets, along with Neftali Feliz, Derek Holland, Brett Wallace and others.
Heyman lists over 30 trade candidates; here are some highlights:
- The A's may have to hold onto Matt Holliday and hope for a pair of high draft picks after the season, as Holliday's shown little power recently.
- The D'Backs aren't impressed by what the Brewers are willing to give up for Doug Davis, so they may try to keep him in Arizona.
- The offers for Chad Qualls may be too tempting for the D'Backs to ignore.
- "Teams will call" about Cliff Lee.
- Jose Valverde would be a trade candidate but for one thing: "the 'Stros don't like to sell."
And finally, a note on Pedro Martinez:
- Pedro should decide on his future soon. The Phillies are the favorites, followed by the Rangers.
Cafardo’s Latest: Jenks, Teahen, Wood, Mulder
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe has some rumors from around the league. Let's sift through them.
- The Dodgers, Brewers, and Phillies remain interested in Mark Mulder who is finishing his rehab and hopes to entertain offers in a week.
- Cafardo speculates if former Royals GM Allard Baird will deliver Mark Teahen, a former player of his, to the Red Sox. Baird is currently assistant to the GM in Boston.
- The Mets might be able to add about $5 to $6MM in payroll before the deadline.
- Brandon Wood would have to be a part of the package for Roy Halladay if the Angels were to make a serious push.
- There's a "good chance" Kenny Williams is looking into Halladay, says Cafardo. He wonders if Williams, who now has back-of-the-bullpen depth, would trade Bobby Jenks to shave payroll.
- The Red Sox are confident with the pieces they have, even if obtaining Halladay might guarantee them a championship. Regardless, the Jays "would likely not want to deal Halladay within the division," says Cafardo.
Roy Halladay Rumors: Sunday
Tired of Roy Halladay rumors yet? Have some more.
- Joel Sherman of the New York Post has listed 10 do's and dont's for blockbuster deals.
- Bill Shaikin of the Los Angeles Times says Frank McCourt can make World Series champions out of the Dodgers if by acquiring Halladay and he could start by offering Russell Martin in a package with prospects Devaris Gordon and Josh Lindblom. Shaikin concedes, "This is not to say the Jays would accept Martin, Gordon and Lindblom for Halladay, or even that the Dodgers would offer that package. The coaching staff would be reluctant to lose Martin at this point of the season, and the organization has all but deemed Gordon untouchable."
- The Philadelphia Inquirer's Bob Ford says Citizens Bank Park wouldn't deter Halladay from going to the Phillies.
- Troy E. Renck says the Rockies won't change their business model to acquire Halladay. They are committed to building from within and that a seven-year, $150MM contract after 2010 would not happen. If they can't retain him, then Renck can't advocate giving up a hypothetical package of Ubaldo Jimenez, Ian Stewart, and two top prospects to get him. Dave Krieger of the Denver Post agrees.
- In the same piece, Renck says the Dodgers could land Halladay if they will part with Clayton Kershaw, and that the Phillies remain the favorites. Still, Renck expects Toronto to take Halladay off the block and to instead cut payroll by dealing Alex Rios.
Odds & Ends: Berroa, Futures Game, Yankees, Pedro, Rolen
There's no such thing as too many links…
- Most fans expressed their displeasure with the move in our comments, but Kevin Goldstein of Baseball Prospectus defends the Mets' signing of Angel Berroa.
- ESPN's Keith Law tell tells you everything you need to know about the prospects playing in this year's Futures Game, and then some. The game is tomorrow at 1pm CST.
- Yankees scouting director Damon Oppenheimer comfirmed to NoMaas' Lane Meyer that the team has signed two draft picks, including seventh rounder Sean Black. Black was the highest unsigned pick in the 2006 draft, heading to Seton Hall instead of signing with the Nationals as the 59th overall selection.
- MLB.com's Todd Zolecki reports that Pedro Martinez "has said the parties are negotiating a deal," referring to his representatives and the Phillies.
- Jeff Blair of The Globe and Mail says he's "hearing some interest in (Scott) Rolen." He mentions that there are a dozen scouts at tonight's Blue Jays game, including two from the Dodgers.
Pedro Martinez Rumors: Friday
4:54pm: The Phillies GM tells Stark that ESPN.com's report that he was in the Dominican is false, as he's in Philly, ready to watch his team play.
4:17pm: Stark says Pedro struck out three and allowed three hits over the course of three shutout innings in a simulated game.
3:55pm: Here's the full ESPN.com story. Amaro Jr. watched Pedro throw after a brief rain delay.
3:44pm: ESPN.com's Jayson Stark hears from his colleague Enrique Rojas that Ruben Amaro Jr. flew to the Dominican Republic today to watch Pedro throw.
10:43am: The Phillies are in serious talks with Pedro Martinez. They liked what they saw and they'll take another look at him today. In the meantime, here are the latest Pedro rumors.
- Ray Parrillo and Jim Salisbury of the Philadelphia Inquirer report that Pedro's agent says there's strong interest from both sides.
- ESPN.com reports that a deal with Pedro won't prevent the Phillies from pursuing Roy Halladay.
- Bob Ford of the Philadelphia Inquirer says the Phillies can win without Pedro.