Pedro Plans to Pitch Again

Veteran wants to come back but do the Phillies want him?

By DAN STAMM

Updated 11:30 AM EST, Tue, Nov 17, 2009

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Pedro Martinez, “absolutely” wants to pitch in 2010, his agent told FOXSports.com.

"Based on how he played, and how he responded, he's looking forward to playing next year," Martinez’s agent Fern Cuza told FOXSports.

Pedro electrified, mystified, frustrated and flopped during his short stint in Phillies pinstripes. And that was just on the mound -- let’s not forget all the hilarity of his press conferences and the beauty of his wonderful hair.

As for actual baseball, the future Hall of Famer mostly dazzled going 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA and 37:8 strikeout-to-walk ratio in the regular season. When it counted most though he seemed worn down as he went 0-2 with a respectable 3.70 ERA in the postseason but gave up seven runs in just 10 innings in two World Series losses -- proving once again that the Yankees were his daddy.

But, Cuza claimed Pedro’s poor World Series showing was due in part to him being sick.

"When I saw him in Miami last week, he was still battling (flu)… I don't know how he took the mound that night. I didn't realize how sick he was,” Cuza said.

At 38, the best years are far behind Pedro, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t want one last hurrah on the hill.

What team would sign Pedro remained a mystery. Could a second stint in Philly be possible?

Well, Pedro looks like he wants to get paid if he pitches. Unlike 2009 when the Phillies signed Pedro to an incentive-laden “bargain” contract after the All-Star Break, in 2010 Pedro wants to be with a team in Spring Training and would likely seek one last big payday to make that happen.

But, what would be the actual market for an aged veteran with injury concerns who had trouble throwing a 90-plus mph fastball last season without the wear and tear of 30-plus starts?

The deciding factor to see Pedro back with the Phightins could be money. The Phillies already sport a payroll north of $100 million and that was before likely raises for arbitration-eligible players like Shane Victorino, Joe Blanton and Carlos Ruiz.

The Phillies already would enter Spring Training with five established starters without Pedro as Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer and J.A. Happ all return.

Yes, Moyer is still in a battle with Father Time and Happ could face a sophomore slump but the Phillies could turn to young guys like Kyle Kendrick (who actually pitched well for the team late last season), Antonio Bastardo or possibly Kyle Drabek to fill a void.

Those young guns might carry questions marks but so does Pedro and the young guys wouldn’t cost the same amount of money as Pedro.

With teams like the Cubs, Rangers and Angels likely more desperate for starting pitching than the Phillies it would be a stretch to see Pedro sticking around.