should pedro be traded?

[terpfan]

i was just wondering what the opinions in this forums are of pedro martinez and his injury troubles. i have pedro and i have been very happy with his production so far this year. he is also one of my favorite players so i dont really want to trade him. however, i would like to know what the popular vote is on this board - should i go out and look to trade him, or does he seem healthy enough...

[Bliz34]

I JUST PICKED UP PEDRO IN ONE OF MY LEAGUES BECAUSE HIS PRODUCTION NEVER HAS SEEMED DIMINISHED TOO BADLY DUE TO INJURY. I MEAN HE'S STILL THE 4TH BEST STARTER IN MLB EVEN AT 85-90% WHERE HE IS NOW? I WOULD SAY (HOPE) THAT PEDRO IS ON AN UPSWING AS OPPOSED TO WAITING TO GO ON THE DL. PLUS WITH INJURIES WHO KNOWS? HE COULD TAKE A LINER IN THE ELBOW TOMMORROW AND BE OUT FOR THE SEASON. I'D SAY USE YOUR BETTER JUDGEMENT. WITH PEDRO NOT AT 100% IS BOSTON GOOD ENOUGH TO HOLD HIM UP A LITTLE. I MEAN NORMALLY WHEN BOSTON DIVEBOMBS IN THE SECOND HALF PEDRO REMAINS A SHINING STAR. BOSTONS BULLPEN AND LINEUP MIGHT BE GOOD ENOUGH WHERE HE CAN BE 80% AND STILL YIELD PRODUCTIVE NUMBERS. IF YOU THINK BOSTON HAS NO CHANCE AND IS INEVITABLY GOING TO FALL THEN PEDRO WILL GO DOWN WITH THEM I'D SAY TRADE HIM. PERSONALLY I THINK BOSTON'S NEW ACQUISTIONS IN THE ORDER AS WELL AS IN THE PEN WILL GIVE PEDRO THE SUPPORT HE NEEDS TO LEASD THEM TO THE PROMISE LAND.

[dannahann]

I really like how Pedro is being used this season. The Sox really keeping his pitch counts and innings down and looking to get him an extra days rest when possible. Also, Pedro himself, throttles it back when the game situation allows. He's won some easy games this year and hasn't tried to be as dominat in them. Therefore, I think he's less of an injury risk than when Jimy overworked him and the team depended on him too much (bringing him back too soon etc...)
The downside is that his per start stats aren't quite as dominant (but still great) and impact the categories less weight because he pitches fewer innings per start. The upside, hopefully he gets alot more starts. I just don't think you can count on the 225 inning Pedro ever again.

Here's one thing I would worry about (wish I had Pedro to worry): Boston may be tempted to depend too heavily on him down the stretch. This years AL playoff race should be real tight. The Red Sox, Yankees, Mariners, A's and Angels are all fighting for 3 spots. I'm a Sox fan, but it's not too difficult to see them being one of the two teams that don't qualify, especially considering the recent Yankee pickups. Keep an eye on how hard they work Pedro if they become desperate.

[Arlo]

I own Pedro myself in my primary league, and haven't even considered trading him in spite of a very high salary...

He's looked fantastic; take away his April Fool's start and his stats are staggering. I would like to see some more games with less than 100 pitches, such as his last start, but on the whole, I wouldn't worry. If an injury happens, it happens, but there don't seem to be any warning signs right now.

[Chicago]

Only consider trading Pedro for the same value you'd get for a Randy Johnson or Curt Schilling.

[terpfan]

ok thanks guys. glad to hear some encouraging words. i was at a site a few days ago that said to trade him immediately and i got scared...

this is best and fastest fantasy baseball advice on the net!!!

[Arlo]

It's understandable that lots of folks are nervous about players like Pedro or Randy Johnson. If you own one of them in your league, you're bound to have a substantial investment, be it an early pick or a large chunk of your budget, tied up in a single player, and an injury could be disastrous.

Still, there's no real way to predict injuries, even if attempts with stress index ratings and the like are somewhat popular now. Watching pitch counts, keeping track of injury histories, etc. is important, obviously, but it seems to me that if the medical staff of the teams involved thinks a player can play without significant injury risk (and they certainly don't want to lose their team's investment, either), that opinion carries far more weight than that of fantasy pundits...

If you truly want to minimize the risk of injury on your team, the best way is still to spread that risk around, for instance by buying three $15 players instead of Pedro at $45. The more baskets you have, the less eggs can break.

Anyway, here's hoping Pedro remains healthy and continues to pitch at a level few others are capable of!