Pedro Martinez doesn't want to pitch until his mid-40s like the Phillies' Jamie Moyer, his opponent last Sunday. But, on multiple occasions this year, Martinez has expressed an interest in pitching beyond this season, and that's going to put the Mets in a prickly position this winter.
Martinez's arrival during the 2004-05 offseason, along with the arrival of Carlos Beltran that same winter, served as the centerpieces of Omar Minaya's first offseason as general manager. Now Martinez's four-year, $53 million contract is expiring, and whether the Mets should re-sign the 36-year-old is debatable. After making only five starts last season because of rotator cuff surgery, the three-time Cy Young Award winner has contributed just 17 starts and has a 5.44 ERA this year.
A poor showing Sunday against the Phillies in Game 1 of a doubleheader, when he allowed six runs in four innings in what became a 6-2 loss, allowed Philadelphia to close within one game of the first-place Mets.
"It's disappointing," Martinez said. "Of course, I'd feel really disappointed if I didn't try hard enough, but everything I had I left out there for my team. No one can second-guess my intentions."
METS 10, NATIONALS 8: Carlos Delgado slugged two home runs and Carlos Beltran and Ryan Church also went deep as the Mets opened a 2 1/2-game division lead over the Phillies. Luis Ayala recorded the save against his former team with a perfect ninth. Oliver Perez lasted just 3 1/3 innings, snapping a string of 13 straight starts of six-plus innings.
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