Matthew Cerrone

News: Pedro still Considering Retirement
By Matthew Cerrone - May 20, 2008 10:32 am

According to the Daily News, Pedro Martinez is contemplating retirement, ‘as he battles back from another injury with thoughts of his ailing father weighing on his mind.’

By the way, In 606 innings pitched after the All-Star Game, Johan Santana has a 2.79 ERA. 

…in other words, i am excited about the prospect of getting a healthy and effective martinez coupled to a second-half santana for the final few months of the season

As noted last night, Martinez tossed 4.1 innings against St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers in an extended spring training game in St. Lucie yesterday.

Martinez will throw a simulated game under the watchful eye of Rick Peterson in Atlanta on Wednesday.

According to Ted Berg, at SNY.tv, Martinez threw 77 pitches, 54 of them strikes, while striking out five batters and topping out at 90 on the radar gun.

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72 Comments »

Comment by ravi3
2008-05-20 10:34:23

Family first. If indeed he does retire this season, I’m hoping he can go out with a flourish, and put an exclamation point on a hall of fame career.

Comment by MacD81
2008-05-20 10:44:53

I agree. Pedro has had a brilliant career. Hopefully Petey can go out on top if he does decide this is it.

 
Comment by Paid Like Mike Gallego
2008-05-20 10:53:01

Agreed, family definitely comes first. That said, it will be great to get Pedro back. While the Mets are 13-4 in the games started this season by Johan Santana or John Maine, they are 9-15 in starts by any of their other starting pitchers. A healthy Pedro along with more consistent hitting with RISP will go a long way towards helping us move beyond the up and down nature of mediocrity.

 
Comment by anditsouttahere
2008-05-20 11:45:54

but wait is he contemplating retirement AFTER this season, or right now, as opposed to rehabbing and returning to the mets?

Comment by dave27
2008-05-20 11:47:57

After the season. He’s going to take home every bit of that 2008 salary! (And honor his contract)

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Comment by iluvbuckner
2008-05-20 10:45:34

He misses the mango tree.

C’mon Pedro!

Comment by da burg's greatest
2008-05-20 10:50:48

Ugh…I understand that you think you are making reference to Pedro’s comments from spring training, but what he actually said was that he has a bit of Mangu…a popular Dominican dish made from eggs and other stuff (I am not so sure exactly what it is, but it definitely isn’t mango)…His comments just got misinterpreted, that’s all.

Comment by appleinahat
2008-05-20 10:59:59

I think he is refering to the comment he made some time ago, while remeniscing about his life, saying that 15 years ago he was just a kid sitting under a mango tree with 50 cents in his pocket for the bus.

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Comment by da burg's greatest
2008-05-20 21:37:09

oh okay, i thought that, like many others, he misinterpreted petey’s comments from spring training about PEDs.

 
 
 
 
Comment by reyesnwright
2008-05-20 10:45:46

Anyone think he may pitch Saturday in Colorado? Right now they don’t have anyone to start that game and it would be his day to pitch.

Comment by ravi3
2008-05-20 11:11:54

Saturday might be a little bit aggressive. I know last year he got the start in Cincy a few days after the bullpen session in Atlanta, but I don’t think that will happen again. First off, pitching Saturday would put him in Colorado, and thats not really a great environment for a recovering pitcher. The thin air will tax his body at a faster rate, a problem considering his stamina wasn’t what it once was. In addition, you lose bit on the breaking ball, which Pedro will certainly rely on more. I think the best bet would be to let him get a rehab start, and then come back and pitch at Shea against the Marlins the following week.

Comment by reyesnwright
2008-05-20 11:16:43

Yeah, that’s probably what will happen. Who will pitch Saturday though? Vargas on 3 days rest? Will they call someone else up, and if so, who will they send down?

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Comment by Xavier22
2008-05-20 11:19:51

they would send Vargas down for Figuerroa or Bostick

 
Comment by kandiman
2008-05-20 11:36:44

I think if we send Vargas down he has to go through waivers again…

Is this right?

 
Comment by Dirtysanchez
2008-05-20 11:46:32

yea i think so
thats why i think their move is going to be to demote someone with options(pagan i think) and move vargas to the pen

 
Comment by dave27
2008-05-20 11:50:12

Pagan is on the DL.

 
Comment by Dirtysanchez
2008-05-20 11:54:11

your right.

 
 
Comment by dave27
2008-05-20 11:49:52

I am sure Vargas will just start on 3 days rest. I don’t think starting a guy who you have little invested in and who is not long for the rotation anyway on 3 days rest warrants a roster move.

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Comment by ravi3
2008-05-20 12:05:09

Yea. I don’t think one start requires a roster move anyway. I would have to think Vargas on short rest.

 
 
 
 
Comment by PartnerInGrime
2008-05-20 10:45:59

Matt,

That opening line is a bit misleading. The way you have it written implies that Pedro is considering retiring NOW, when the article implies that he’s contemplating retiring at the end of the 2008 season.

 
Comment by HoJoWright
2008-05-20 10:47:23

Pedro, come back and stay healthy. Help us deep into the season and go out on top. Come back soon,

 
Comment by TugTheMan
2008-05-20 10:47:53

Anytime a person reaches a certain point in his/her career that allows the notion of retirement…that person will always consider retirement. I don’t read into it any more than just a consideration of retirement by a person who can retire. I’m two years away from becoming eligible to retire and honestly I think about it every day. Will I retire? I don’t know. But I will consider it every day…but it doesn’t mean I will.

Comment by HoJoWright
2008-05-20 11:02:25

agree, I’m 30 years away from retirement and also consider retiring everyday…

 
 
Comment by EliPorter
2008-05-20 10:49:11

hopefully we can send petey off with a championship

 
Comment by CaseStreet
2008-05-20 10:54:48

I really hope he doesn’t retire. I’d like to see him in Citi field for a full year.

Comment by Ollie Ollie Oxen Free
2008-05-20 10:59:00

Then we better sign him to a 6 year contract, so we can get a month out of him every year and it will total a full year haha.

Kidding. I think Pedro has been instrumental to this team’s turning the corner the past few years. Would love to see him back for one more year after this. Maybe 2.

 
Comment by therealsince86
2008-05-20 11:02:23

I love Pedro but to me that is the last thing I want to see is Omar relying on an injury prone pitcher for the rotation again. I think we need to either resign Perez or bring in a Garland/Lowe type and also sign another innings eater.
Santana, Maine, Garland, Lowe/Perez, Pelfrey.
Again, I hope Pedro does well but I do not think our minors are deep enough to have the Pedro situation all over again.
Hey maybe Vargas steps up and Pelfrey continues to develop. Then you have money to go get CC. That would work too.
Any good luck Pedro.

Comment by Dirtysanchez
2008-05-20 11:07:57

I dont know about landing CC here but i agree that i think omar should think younger come next year. We are/have witnessed the troubles of relying on aging/old players. When they are here its great but for the months that they are out and leave their club playing hopscotch to find a replacement is not that great(see alou). I love pedro and im glad for everything he has done for this franchise(not only pitching but transforming the image of this club). I definatly see him retiring after 08 so hopefully omar wont be left to make a decision on bringing him back.

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Comment by therealsince86
2008-05-20 11:11:40

I hope Pedro is not the type to just hold on and become a #5 then into the bullpen before finally being released. I don’t think he is that type.
I think at most the only way we could bring him back is as the #5 with Pelfrey ready. The only way that happens is if Perez or another quality arm is brought in and Vargas develops. Even then that would mean that Pelfrey has been a bust and I hope that is not the case.

 
Comment by Dirtysanchez
2008-05-20 11:20:09

Yea the mets have invested alot in pelf i hope(dont think) he will be a bust.

I remember seeing a segment on espn last year compairing pedro and randy johnson. They said they were the type of player that wants to be remembered a certian way and the would want to come back and prove they are the player everyone remembers. They said since johnson(back injury) and pedro(arm) were lost for the 07 season they would come back in 08 and deliver to leave on a high note. Basically retire on a high note.