Phillies talking with Pedro about comeback?

Not that it has been a big secret, but Enrique Rojas of ESPN is reporting that the Phillies are talking with Pedro Martinez about a midseason return to the team. Ruben Amaro has said publicly for months now that the Phils would be interested in bringing back Pedro if he wanted to continue his career. Given how he pitched down the stretch for the Phillies last season, slotting Pedro back in the rotation would give a boost to the Phillies and not force them to rely on Jamie Moyer or Kyle Kendrick.

I'm not sure why ESPN is just now picking up on a story that has been ongoing for months; perhaps it means the Phillies are closing in on a deal with Pedro. While pitching hasn't been the big issue with the Phillies in their recent slide, bringing back Pedro would once again provide the Phillies with strong pitching depth. Hopefully the Phils are looking at all options, though, and not assuming that a 38 year old pitcher can once again go 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA.

Utley, bullpen waste Pedro's brilliance, allow Dodgers to even series

(AP Photo/Chris Carlson)

Talk about wasted opportunities. Through 7 innings in Game 2 of the NLCS, the Phillies were cruising with a 1-0 lead, riding Pedro Martinez's brilliant 2-hit shutout performance. Then, the Phillies turned to their bullpen and everything went downhill from there.

Why the Phillies chose to take Pedro out after only 87 pitches will remain a mystery, but Charlie Manuel turned the game over to Chan Ho Park in the top of the 8th inning. Park subsequently gave up a pair of singles but then forced Russell Martin to hit a double play grounder to Pedro Feliz. Feliz made the throw to second baseman Chase Utley for one out, then Utley did the unthinkable, wildly throwing the ball past first baseman Ryan Howard. The error allowed the Dodgers to tie up the game and gave them new life. From there, the Phillies used four more pitchers in the inning and eventually J.A. Happ walked in the game winning run for the Dodgers.

It's hard not to place the entire blame for this game on Utley. A double play in that situation wouldn't have guaranteed that the Phillies get out of the 8th without giving up a run, but it would have gotten them one out from ending the rally. What makes that play particularly disappointing was that it was Chase Utley that made an error for the second day in a row. If the most reliable Phillie is letting the team down, what chance do they have of getting past the Dodgers?

There is plenty of other blame to be spread around today, though. The bullpen once again couldn't close things out. Charlie Manuel also has plenty of explaining to do as to why he pulled Pedro Martinez. You can't let the bats off the hook, either. Except for the homer by Ryan Howard, where was the Phillie offense? They couldn't get more than one run off of Vicente Padilla?

While this is as tough a loss as you are going to see, Phillies fans need to look at the big picture. The Phillies did split the first two games in L.A., something the team would take every time. While the opportunity to really command the series went out the window, the series is shifting back to Philly for three games and the Phillies do have Cliff Lee taking the mound in Game 3. All hope is nowhere near lost.

It was just one game, folks. One brutally disappointing game, but it's just one game. There's still plenty of series left to play.

Pitching change: Happ to replace Pedro in Game 3

With the postponement of Game 3 until tomorrow, the Phillies have announced a change in their starting pitcher: J.A. Happ will now take the mound instead of Pedro Martinez. Clearly, the Phillies want a left hander facing this Rockies lefty-heavy lineup, so Happ, given an extra day of rest, makes for the smart choice.

With Happ pitching Game 3, Cliff Lee likely pitching Game 4 and Cole Hamels set for Game 5 if need be, the Phillies are now going to put a lefty on the mound to start every game this series. In the playoffs you take every advantage you can get.

Pedro's gem caps great day in Philly Sports

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

Pedro Martinez's performance Sunday night was exactly why the Phillies chose to pull Jamie Moyer from the rotation. Martinez, facing his old team, the Mets, had a masterful game, pitching 8 shutout innings to lead the Phillies to a 1-0 win. It was the second win of the day for the Phillies over the Mets, a win that completely eliminates the Mets from playoff contention.

Pedro was the story of the night, mowing down batters and going deeper into the game than he had ever gone this season. It took 130 pitches, but Pedro got through those 8 innings by striking out 7 batters and generally looking like the Pedro of a few years ago. Pedro has quickly become a must-start in the playoffs for the Phillies and has made Ruben Amaro look like a genius for taking a chance on him.

The night wasn't complete without a little closer drama as Ryan Madson took the mound for the save. Madson gave up one hit but looked pretty sharp in getting through the 9th inning. He certainly fared better than Brad Lidge, who gave up 2 runs and backed into a save, did earlier in the day. The closer situation is still very muddled going forward.

Pedro's gem caps an outstanding day in Philly sports. Not only did the Phillies sweep their doubleheader with the Mets but the Eagles also manhandled the Panthers. The only negative on the day is the fact that Donovan McNabb got injured but at least that doesn't look too serious. It really doesn't get much better than this, Philly fans.

Best pitcher in baseball? Pedro out-duels Lincecum

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

The supposed "best pitcher in baseball" should be embarrassed by the fact that he got out-dueled by someone 12 years older than him.

37 year-old Pedro Martinez somehow found a way to turn back the clock and pitch like it was 1999 all over again and led the Phillies to a 2-1 victory over Tim Lincecum and the Giants. Pedro had his best outing of the season, going 7 innings deep and giving up only 1 run on 5 hits while striking out 9. It was a good enough performance to allow the Phillies to beat Lincecum, the likely Cy Young winner in the National League, despite his 11 strikeouts and 4 hits allowed.

The win capped an impressive series win for the Phillies over the Giants. Two of the three games turned into pitching duels and the fact that the Phillies won both of those duels is impressive. What's less encouraging was the Phillies offense which was MIA the entire series. The Giants do have excellent pitching but the Phillies only faced one of their two aces and still managed only 3 runs in 3 games. The starting pitching bailed out the offense in this series, a nice sign but hopefully not something that has to happen routinely.

The Phillies seemingly already got what they paid for in Pedro Martinez. He's a veteran pitcher who pitches to the situation in the game; if the Phillies have a big lead he doesn't strain himself but when the game is close he buckles down and gets the job done. The fact that he outpitched Tim Lincecum tonight proves that he belongs in the rotation, at least for the rest of the regular season. It will be interesting to see how Pedro does when he is called on from the bullpen in the postseason. If he pitches as well as he did tonight in a game that had a postseason feel to it, the Phillies will be just one step closer to another title.

Jamie Moyer, Phillies relief ace

(AP Photo/Matt Slocum)

This Jamie Moyer would have never lost his spot in the Phillies rotation, that's for sure. In a game started by Pedro Martinez that was subsequently stopped by rain, Moyer had one of his best performances of the season, pitching 6 nearly perfect relief innings to lead the Phillies to a 5-1 win over the Diamondbacks.

Pedro started the game by giving up a homer but settled down nicely, pitching 3 innings and giving up only that one run. Then the rains came, delaying the game for over an hour, and out went Pedro and in came Moyer. The Old Man pitched amazingly, allowing only 2 hits, walking none and striking out 5 to earn the win, his team-leading 11th on the season. Moyer also helped out with his bat, getting a pair of singles to raise his batting average to .152, an average that towers over Eric Bruntlett's .129. (Why is Bruntlett on the team again?)

Pedro said it best in his post-game interview: "You never know what you get when you put two old goats out there. It's a scary combination" (quote via Todd Zolecki on Twitter). Pedro and Moyer, all 83 years between them, combined for one of the best pitching outings of the season. Baseball may be a game for kids, but these old guys dominated tonight.

Old Man Moyer was on a mission tonight, to prove that he still belonged in the rotation. Ultimately, this performance won't get him where he wants to be, but it's nice to know that he can be counted on after a long rain delay. Moyer knows that if he had pitched anywhere near like he did tonight at any other point in the last few months he would have never been in this situation to begin with. Knowing that he still has a few more good innings left in his arm gives the Phillies just one more weapon that will help them in their march towards another World Championship.

Offense helps Pedro earn win in Phillies debut

(AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)

Pedro Martinez wasn't particularly sharp in his debut with the Phillies, but the offense made sure he didn't have to be. In fact, with the way the Phillies swung the bats on Wednesday, racking up 14 hits and 12 runs, anybody could have won the game.

Pedro looked good at times, but his final line wasn't impressive: 5 IP, 7 hits, 1 walk, 3 runs allowed and 5 strikeouts. His ERA for the night was 5.40, a number just lower than Jamie Moyer's ERA of 5.47 for the season. Pedro needed 99 pitches to get through 5 innings, about the length the Phillies should expect from him every time out. He needs a lot of pitches to get through each batter because he doesn't have overpowering stuff and needs to dance around the strike zone and mix his speeds.

The Phillies offense was explosive on the night, getting homers from Shane Victorino, Jimmy Rollins and Raul Ibanez. It was a total team effort with every starting position player had a hit and scored a run in the game, and all drove in at least one run except Jayson Werth.

The real story of the night may be the fan that threw a beer at Victorino when he was making a catch in the outfield. I will have more on that once I find some pictures of the incident (Click here for it), but I will say that if something like that happened in Philly, you would be hearing about it everywhere the next day. Chicago fans will get a pass because "they've had such hard luck over the years." Whatever.

In all, a decent debut for Pedro, but anyone, including Jamie Moyer, could have won this game. It will be interesting to see how Pedro does in a start where he has a little more pressure on him. When the game was close, he looked much sharper, but once the Phillies put a ton of runs on the board, he seemed to let up a bit. I give him a pass for his effort tonight, he did just about all you could expect from someone who hasn't pitched in the majors in nearly 11 months.

Jamie Moyer upset about demotion

One day after being demoted to the bullpen in favor of Pedro Martinez, Jamie Moyer made it clear that he was not happy with the Phillies decision. In an interview with several Phillies beat writers, Moyer stated that he felt "mis-led", that when he signed a two year contract with the Phillies after last season, the team guaranteed they wouldn't pull him from the rotation. Moyer also felt "disheartened", but also said that he didn't want to be a distraction to the team. Uh, sorry Jamie, but you making these public statements immediately makes you a distraction.

While I was one of several who felt that Moyer being sent to the bullpen was the right choice, that doesn't mean it was an easy decision for the Phillies. The Phillies do have Moyer under contract for another year after this one, while Pedro is only under contract for the rest of this season, so to move the guy that is here longer is a risky move. Moyer should know, however, that the fact that he was promised he would never be removed from the rotation means nothing. If he went out there and got rocked in every start, would he really think the Phillies would keep him in the rotation because they promised him?

This move by the Phillies does say something about their loyalty to their players. In professional sports, though, if you want to win, sometimes you have to make a decision that goes against a player you really like. Just ask the Eagles, who regularly dismiss players like Brian Dawkins and are constantly looking towards the future. Give the Phillies credit for making a difficult decision. Perhaps the move will help to motivate Moyer the next time he gets a start, because you know that will happen sooner or later. You do have to feel for the Old Man, but if only he had pitched just a little better the Phillies would never been forced to demote him.

Phillies rotation shake-up: Pedro in, Moyer to the bullpen

The Pedro Martinez era is about to begin in Philadelphia! The Phillies have finally announced who there starters will be for the next few games, selecting J.A. Happ for Tuesday, Pedro for Wednesday and Cliff Lee for Thursday. That news means that Jamie Moyer is the odd man out and will be demoted to the bullpen.

Moyer was the clear choice to leave the rotation, but that doesn't make this news any less surprising. The Phillies took a veteran pitcher who has done nothing but start games for two decades and shifted him to the bullpen, where he figures to be completely useless. As you know, Moyer is anything but young and will require a ton of stretching and preparing before he can be ready to pitch, meaning he can't just jump out of the bullpen and enter a game. Likely the Phillies will have to tell Moyer well in advance when he should be ready to pitch, like perhaps every 5th day when Pedro takes the mound.

The Phillies also made another move today, activating Chad Durbin off the disabled list and sending Rodrigo Lopez down to the minors. Durbin will be a welcome addition to the bullpen that has featured a little too much Tyler Walker and Chan Ho Park for my tastes. Yes, I know both have been effective at times, but it always seems like the Phillies are playing with fire when they enter the game.

So, the Pedro era is set to begin on Wednesday. While it took the removal of a pitcher we all like as a person, I am interested to see what Martinez has left in the tank. He has had some promising minor league starts that went well for 4 or 5 innings and then went south quickly, so the bullpen better be ready. It's nice to see that the Phillies made the right decision in keeping Happ in the rotation and bumping Moyer out instead of playing the loyalty card and favoring the veteran. Of course, Moyer better be ready because I have a feeling that he will get another start at some point this season, whether it's due to an injury or Pedro is a bust. I don't think we've seen the last of Old Man Moyer.

Breaking: Happ to remain in rotation

All of those fans who are demanding that Happ stay in the rotation can relax, at least for now. According to Phillies beat writer Todd Zolecki on Twitter, Ruben Amaro has said that Happ isn't going anywhere and he will remain in the rotation. Apparently the case Happ made yesterday proved that he belongs.

So, at least for now, Happ will remain in the rotation. Of course, we don't know if that means Happ stays in until Pedro Martinez comes up or if this is a permanent thing. Either way, Amaro still has one more decision to make about Pedro and Jamie Moyer. One of them has to go.

Happ makes his case, will it be enough?

(AP Photo/H. Rumph Jr)

Amidst all the discussion about what the Phillies should do with their starting pitcher "problem", the man that many thought would be pushed aside to the bullpen stood up and made his case for a permanent spot in the rotation. J.A. Happ pitched 9 innings of shutout ball against the Rockies, leading the Phillies to a 7-0 win. Happ needed 127 pitches to do it, but he only allowed 4 hits and 2 walks while he struck out 10 Rockies to pitch a gem. He even threw in a double at the plate for good measure.

So, what it all enough to secure Happ's spot in the rotation? With Pedro Martinez opening eyes with an 11 strikeout effort in a 6 inning start for Double A Reading, the question still lingers: What will the Phillies do? With Jamie Moyer of no use to the team except as a starter and Martinez looking ready to step into the big league rotation, the Phillies don't seem to have many options. Happ has spent some time in the bullpen already this season, so unfortunately in this case his versatility may be his downfall. The Phillies won't send Moyer to the pen and I can't foresee the team at least not trying Pedro out as a starter, so that leaves Happ as the odd man out, which is a ridiculous notion. How does someone pitch one of the most dominant games for the Phillies all season long and then get ousted from the rotation?

Such is the conundrum that the Phillies now face. I would expect every blogger and Philly related website to have their take on this situation, so I might as well weigh in with my opinion. With the 6 game lead they have opened up in the NL East, the Phillies are going to inevitably make the playoffs. They need to figure out who the best four starters are for the team and make sure that each is in the rotation for the rest of the season as they prepare for a playoff run. Happ has certainly done enough to prove that he belongs in the playoff rotation, along with Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton, so what happens to Pedro and Moyer? The Phillies need to see what they have with Pedro, so, sadly, they need to figure out something to do with Jamie Moyer. Whether it's some kind of phantom injury that sends him to the DL or the Phillies begin transitioning him to a coaching role, Moyer has to step aside. It's a tough call to make, but if the Phillies want to give themselves the best shot to win this year, Moyer can't be a part of the rotation.

Look, I like the Old Man as much as the next person, but even he has to see the writing on the wall. The Phillies have to go with the best option to win now, and Jamie Moyer isn't in the mix. One only needs to look at what Moyer did on Tuesday against the Rockies and compare that to Happ's performance on Wednesday and realize there is no question: Happ needs to stay in the rotation. I hope the Phillies realize that Happ has to stay and they can figure out a way to end things nicely with Jamie Moyer. Unfortunately, I have a feeling the Phillies won't have the guts and instead will force the kid to the bullpen. Let's hope I'm wrong and the Phillies do what's best for the team: Save Happ.

Did you hear? Phillies sign Pedro

It was definitely the worst-kept secret and the most over-reported physical in the history of Philadelphia sports, so I will spare you the details here. The bottom line is the Phillies brought veteran pitcher Pedro Martinez to Philadelphia Tuesday for an extensive physical with the idea that, if he passed, he would be a Phillie. Well, Pedro passed, so now he will sign with the Phils.

The deal will be for the rest of this season for 1 million bucks plus another 1.5 million in incentives if he does well. Martinez will have to start in the minors as he works back into game shape, so it could still be a while before he pitches for the big league club. There is also the possibility that Pedro never quite gets where the Phillies want him to be and the team simply waives him.

While I am not that excited about the idea of signing a 37 year old pitcher who had an ERA well over 5 last season, I do see this as a low-risk, high-reward move for the Phillies. If Pedro stinks, they only invested 1 million dollars in him so it will be easy to cast him aside. If Pedro is the Pedro of a few years ago, then the Phillies got a huge bargain for a playoff-tested ace. Of course, the reality is that Pedro will be somewhere in the middle of those two scenarios, which is still a useful pitcher. He figures to slot into the 4th or 5th spot in the rotation and if he can put up an ERA of around 4.50, he figures to win a few games for the Phillies.

I'm not a huge fan of Pedro Martinez as he is an ex-Met and is known to be a bit of a me-first player. As long as he doesn't cause a stir in the Phillies locker room and at least pitches adequately, then this is a smart move for the Phillies. More importantly, Ruben Amaro has made it clear that this signing will not get in the way of any possible deal for Roy Halladay. Word from Toronto seems to be that the Blue Jays aren't likely to trade Halladay, but if they do, the Phillies better be first in line making offers.

Phillies sign Pedro Martinez. Maybe.....Tuesday?

While Phillies fans were buzzing about Shane Victorino making the All-Star Game, another story broke: Pedro Martinez has signed with the Phillies. Or, at least according to a report from the Domincan Republic, he has. Candela Deportiva is reporting that Martinez has signed with the Phillies for the remainder of the season, with a 4 million dollar contract that would prorate to about half that amount.

When asked about Pedro Martinez, Phillies GM Ruben Amaro initially said he had no comment, but later it has been confirmed that the Phillies are speaking with Martinez and his agent, and a deal could be in the works, pending a physical. The Phillies were apparently very pleased with how Martinez pitched for them during a recent workout and are trying to lure the 37 year old to Philadelphia.

My initial reaction to these reports was sheer horror. Did the Phillies watch Pedro try to pitch last season for the Mets? Did they not see his 5.61 ERA and 1.57 WHIP? Thinking more about it, however, the Phillies essentially are buying a lottery ticket. Pedro Martinez may have nothing left in the tank, but at 2 million bucks, why wouldn't you take a chance that he has something left to contribute? He would slot in as the Phillies 5th starter right now, replacing the revolving door of Rodrgio Lopez and Antonio Bastardo, so how could he not be an upgrade? A rotation of Cole Hamels, Joe Blanton, Jamie Moyer, J.A. Happ and Pedro Martinez isn't great, but it's not terrible, either.

Plus, the signing of Martinez in no way hinders the Phillies from acquiring Roy Halladay. In fact, it might actually help bring Doc to town. If Pedro pitches well, then the Phillies would be willing to part with J.A. Happ, someone Toronto is believed to covet, to get Halladay. With Pedro in the rotation, losing Happ isn't as big of a deal and the Phillies can have a rotation of Hamels, Halladay, Moyer, Blanton and Martinez. That's a World Series rotation.

Of course, all of this talk is just talk if the Phillies don't actually sign Pedro. The speculation right now is that that Martinez is going to come to Philly and have a physical and then decide if he wants to play for the Phillies. While I initially won't like the sight of Martinez in a Phillies uniform, this is really a no-lose situation. If Pedro pitches well, the Phillies have made a hell of a deal. If he struggles, the Phillies simply wasted 2 million bucks. Of course, if this signing somehow leads to Roy Halladay being a Phillie, then this is a brilliant move.

POLL: Do you want Pedro in a Phillies uniform? Vote to the left!

UPDATE: Looks like Pedro will have an extensive physical Tuesday, and if he passes it, he will be a Phillie. I'm not that excited about the move, but Pedro should do just fine as a 5th starter. Hopefully he doesn't do anything to disrupt the clubhouse.

Phillies Fans Rejoice: Pedro Injures Hamstring

We have our first casualty in the war between the Mets and the Phillies. In the 4th inning of yesterday's loss to the Marlins, Mets pitcher Pedro Martinez threw a pitch, felt a pop, and limped off the field. The initial reports are that Martinez has a strained hamstring, but he is going back to New York today for an MRI. It is almost a certainty that Pedro is headed for a DL stint, but it is not known yet how long he will be out. In the meantime, the Mets will likely look to Jorge Sosa to fill in for Pedro in the starting rotation.

The Mets rotation just got a whole lot weaker. While they still have their ace in Johan Santana, the rest of the group of John Maine, Oliver Perez, Mike Pelfrey and Sosa is hardly an intimidating bunch. Martinez was being counted on to return to the Pedro of old, and it doesn't look like that is going to happen any time soon.

The Phillies have yet to win a game, but they have to enjoy their rivals losing a key piece this early in the season.