It’s either an act of desperation or pure genius — take your pick. But the defending world champion Phillies needed to patch a hole in their starting rotation. And Pedro Martinez fit the bill. The 37-year-old signed a $1 million, incentive-laden contract this week. But what does he have left after two injury-plagued seasons with the New York Mets?
We’ll find out in a few weeks when Martinez returns from a stint on the disabled list. Philadelphia entered the second half with a four-game lead in the National League East, but has used nine different starting pitchers this season and Brett Myers and Antonio Bastardo are both on the disabled list. But buyer beware. For four years in a row, including three in New York, Martinez reverted into an excessive fly ball pitcher. And that would be a terrible match for cozy Citizens Bank Park, where it seems every cheap pop fly has a shot at leaving the park.
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But the Phillies counter that in 20 starts last season with the Mets, Martinez again was a ground ball pitcher. His ratio of 1.15 ground outs-to-fly outs was on par with his greatest seasons in Montreal and Boston. If that holds and Pedro’s fastball can tick into the low 90s — as some scouts claim it still does — then Philadelphia has itself a bargain. If not? That hole in the rotation grows larger as the playoffs approach.
