[url]http://redsox.bostonherald.com/redSox/view.bg?articleid=58655]
Sources say Pedro heads towards Mets:
By Michael Silverman and Tony Massarotti
Monday, December 13, 2004
ANAHEIM -- After weeks of negotiations, all indications today pointed to Pedro Martinez [stats, news] ending his career as a Red Sox [stats, schedule] and accepting a four-year offer from the New York Mets, the Herald learned.
According to sources, Red Sox officials were awaiting official word this afternoon that Martinez had accepted the offer to New York.
The three-time Cy Young winner reportedly agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Mets worth $56 million, or $14 million a year. That deal is a year longer and approximately $500,000 more a year than the Red Sox were willing to spend in order to retain Martinez, according to a baseball source.
Mets GM Omar Minaya refused to confirm reports of the fourth guaranteed year and Martinez' acceptance of his team's offer. ``All I can say is that we are having dialog,'' said Minaya, referring his his ongoing discussions with Martinez' agent Fernando Cuza. ``We're working hard.''
The Red Sox guaranteed the third year on Martinez' deal on Friday and were said to have raised the annual average value of the deal to $13.5 million but once the Mets swept in and guaranteed the fourth year as well as raised the annual average value of the deal to $14 million, Martinez decided to go with the Mets.
The differences between Martinez and the Red Sox were not only monetary.
The Red Sox had internally soured on Martinez, not only because of his sometimes difficult behavior. The team was unwilling to spend as much money as Martinez wanted due in part to their concern about his long-term health.
From Martinez' standpoint, he had grown tired of waiting for the Red Sox to raise the annual average value of their offer above the $13.5 million mark, which is what Curt Schilling [stats, news] is being paid, plus he felt the club was spending too muchtime in negotiations dwelling on his 2004 sub-par stats instead of looking at his career.
The team is still trying to find such a starting pitcher. Oakland ace Tim Hudson is very much on their radar, which is believed to be related to the Red Sox' pursuit of Florida right-hander A.J. Burnett. The Red Sox may wish to keep Burnett in order to plug him into their own rotation or to send him to Oakland as part of a three-way deal that would net them thecoveted Hudson.
In Martinez, the Mets made the kind of splash they have been looking to make in the Big Apple.
Sources say Pedro heads towards Mets:
By Michael Silverman and Tony Massarotti
Monday, December 13, 2004
ANAHEIM -- After weeks of negotiations, all indications today pointed to Pedro Martinez [stats, news] ending his career as a Red Sox [stats, schedule] and accepting a four-year offer from the New York Mets, the Herald learned.
According to sources, Red Sox officials were awaiting official word this afternoon that Martinez had accepted the offer to New York.
The three-time Cy Young winner reportedly agreed to terms on a four-year deal with the Mets worth $56 million, or $14 million a year. That deal is a year longer and approximately $500,000 more a year than the Red Sox were willing to spend in order to retain Martinez, according to a baseball source.
Mets GM Omar Minaya refused to confirm reports of the fourth guaranteed year and Martinez' acceptance of his team's offer. ``All I can say is that we are having dialog,'' said Minaya, referring his his ongoing discussions with Martinez' agent Fernando Cuza. ``We're working hard.''
The Red Sox guaranteed the third year on Martinez' deal on Friday and were said to have raised the annual average value of the deal to $13.5 million but once the Mets swept in and guaranteed the fourth year as well as raised the annual average value of the deal to $14 million, Martinez decided to go with the Mets.
The differences between Martinez and the Red Sox were not only monetary.
The Red Sox had internally soured on Martinez, not only because of his sometimes difficult behavior. The team was unwilling to spend as much money as Martinez wanted due in part to their concern about his long-term health.
From Martinez' standpoint, he had grown tired of waiting for the Red Sox to raise the annual average value of their offer above the $13.5 million mark, which is what Curt Schilling [stats, news] is being paid, plus he felt the club was spending too muchtime in negotiations dwelling on his 2004 sub-par stats instead of looking at his career.
The team is still trying to find such a starting pitcher. Oakland ace Tim Hudson is very much on their radar, which is believed to be related to the Red Sox' pursuit of Florida right-hander A.J. Burnett. The Red Sox may wish to keep Burnett in order to plug him into their own rotation or to send him to Oakland as part of a three-way deal that would net them thecoveted Hudson.
In Martinez, the Mets made the kind of splash they have been looking to make in the Big Apple.
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