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Friday, April 30, 2004
Updated: May 1, 9:49 AM ET
ESPN.com news services
BOSTON -- Pedro Martinez has halted contract negotiations with the Boston Red Sox and will test the free agent market after this season, he told reporters on Friday.
Martinez has asked his agent to notify general manager Theo Epstein and team president Larry Lucchino that he would no longer talk contract with the club during the season.
Martinez's agent, Fernando Cuza, did not immediately respond to a message from The Associated Press seeking comment early Saturday.
"I'm just really sad for the fans in New England who had high hopes that at this time I could say, truly, that I was going to stay in Boston, but now they're going to have to compete with the rest of the league," Martinez told the Boston Herald on Friday before the team's game against the Texas Rangers.
Martinez was not available after Friday night's game was postponed by rain.
He is 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA in his seventh season with the Red Sox, and is scheduled to pitch Saturday.
"It is club policy not to comment on contract negotiations during the season," Epstein, who was not in Arlington, said through a Red Sox spokesman on Friday night.
"It's just business," said the right-hander, who is 170-69 in his career with a 2.62 ERA.
Martinez is making $17.5 million this season. He told the Herald that he held no ill will toward the Red Sox. However, his comments to the Boston Globe indicate otherwise.
"I just don't like people lying, trying to fake that they're signing us when they never made an effort strong enough to make us actually think about anything," Martinez told the Globe. "They never made us an offer. I waited an extra month to actually let [principal owner] John Henry do whatever he promised me he was going to do, and nothing came out of it."
Martinez also told the Globe that the Red Sox privately hinted his shoulder might be at risk "just to bring my contract down."
"That's the whole issue," Martinez told the Globe. "That bothered me a little bit because that was dirty playing after I promised I was going to keep my mouth shut about the negotiations. That bothered me that they did that just to bring my salary down or make things more difficult for me to go in a free agency year."
Asked why the team would use such a ploy, if they did, Martinez told the Globe, "Maybe they needed me to sign for a cheaper salary than they thought I should earn. It's not bad to negotiate. I understand that. At the same time, don't try to give me a friendly face and say, 'We're trying hard. Keep [public discussion] low,' just like they did to [Derek Lowe], try to keep him shut down so he wouldn't say anything."
Martinez said he also was annoyed by the team's proposal to include a clause in any future contract that would void the deal if his career was cut short by injury.
"That was the only thing they talked about in spring training," he told the Globe. "I said, 'Don't even bring it up anymore.' The same thing to [catcher Jason] Varitek. Would you talk to Varitek about a voidable contract? That's not fair to a guy like that."
Martinez would not say what the chances are that he would re-sign with Boston. He told the Globe that he would consider any team, and when asked about the Yankees, he said "Boston has probably the same chances the Yankees will have."
The Red Sox and Martinez negotiated during spring training, but nothing was accomplished.
"I don't know, I'm going to have to wait and see," he told the Herald. "I gave them every single chance I could. ... I gave them every opportunity, every discount I could give them to actually stay in Boston and they never took advantage of it. Didn't even give me an offer."
Updated: May 1, 9:49 AM ET
ESPN.com news services
BOSTON -- Pedro Martinez has halted contract negotiations with the Boston Red Sox and will test the free agent market after this season, he told reporters on Friday.
Martinez has asked his agent to notify general manager Theo Epstein and team president Larry Lucchino that he would no longer talk contract with the club during the season.
Martinez's agent, Fernando Cuza, did not immediately respond to a message from The Associated Press seeking comment early Saturday.
"I'm just really sad for the fans in New England who had high hopes that at this time I could say, truly, that I was going to stay in Boston, but now they're going to have to compete with the rest of the league," Martinez told the Boston Herald on Friday before the team's game against the Texas Rangers.
Martinez was not available after Friday night's game was postponed by rain.
He is 3-1 with a 3.03 ERA in his seventh season with the Red Sox, and is scheduled to pitch Saturday.
"It is club policy not to comment on contract negotiations during the season," Epstein, who was not in Arlington, said through a Red Sox spokesman on Friday night.
"It's just business," said the right-hander, who is 170-69 in his career with a 2.62 ERA.
Martinez is making $17.5 million this season. He told the Herald that he held no ill will toward the Red Sox. However, his comments to the Boston Globe indicate otherwise.
"I just don't like people lying, trying to fake that they're signing us when they never made an effort strong enough to make us actually think about anything," Martinez told the Globe. "They never made us an offer. I waited an extra month to actually let [principal owner] John Henry do whatever he promised me he was going to do, and nothing came out of it."
Martinez also told the Globe that the Red Sox privately hinted his shoulder might be at risk "just to bring my contract down."
"That's the whole issue," Martinez told the Globe. "That bothered me a little bit because that was dirty playing after I promised I was going to keep my mouth shut about the negotiations. That bothered me that they did that just to bring my salary down or make things more difficult for me to go in a free agency year."
Asked why the team would use such a ploy, if they did, Martinez told the Globe, "Maybe they needed me to sign for a cheaper salary than they thought I should earn. It's not bad to negotiate. I understand that. At the same time, don't try to give me a friendly face and say, 'We're trying hard. Keep [public discussion] low,' just like they did to [Derek Lowe], try to keep him shut down so he wouldn't say anything."
Martinez said he also was annoyed by the team's proposal to include a clause in any future contract that would void the deal if his career was cut short by injury.
"That was the only thing they talked about in spring training," he told the Globe. "I said, 'Don't even bring it up anymore.' The same thing to [catcher Jason] Varitek. Would you talk to Varitek about a voidable contract? That's not fair to a guy like that."
Martinez would not say what the chances are that he would re-sign with Boston. He told the Globe that he would consider any team, and when asked about the Yankees, he said "Boston has probably the same chances the Yankees will have."
The Red Sox and Martinez negotiated during spring training, but nothing was accomplished.
"I don't know, I'm going to have to wait and see," he told the Herald. "I gave them every single chance I could. ... I gave them every opportunity, every discount I could give them to actually stay in Boston and they never took advantage of it. Didn't even give me an offer."
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