While 300 wins is the benchmark in which crusty ol' elitist baseball folks judge starting pitcher, something has to be said for a pitcher that led all of baseball in ERA five times, strkeouts three times and WHIP six times, while also amounting has three Cy Young awards in the process.
And when that pitcher is available on the open market, there is no reason not to look at him. Who doesn't want a starting pitcher with 214 wins and a .689 winning percentage in the regular season and a 6-2 career postseason record?
Cubs fans, if you have stuck around long enough to get through the intro, you will notice I am not talking about Jake Peavy.
I'm talking about Pedro Martinez.
Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe reports The (Sometimes) Jeri-Curled Gunslinger has recently worked out for the Cubs and Tampa Bay Rays, and that both teams are exploring the possibility of adding Martinez to their rosters.
For the Cubs, it would be an absolute steal. They wouldn't have to unload the farm and risk losing a prospect that actually happens to pan out in the process. And while the Cubs rotation isn't the team's biggest weakness, adding Pedro could facillitate a move to the bullpen for Randy Wells or (dare I suggest?) Rich Harden.
No need to worry about Harden's worrisome assortment of injuries if he's pitching one or two innings out of the bullpen. One could think of him as Trevor Hoffman circa the time he throw mid-90s fastballs to go along with that baffling Bugs Bunny change-up.
As for the Rays, they can screw off. They've got David Price, Matt Garza and Scott Kazmir, when healthy. Not to mention that they traded away Edwin Jackson (6-3, 2.24 ERA) for Matt Joyce's bat, which apparently still hasn't made its way from Detroit.
The North Side Nine needs a shake-up on that roster. Something that says "we want to win and want to do it now" while also saying "none of you f***stains have a job that is safe."
Signing Pedro Martinez does both.
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