When Petey Met Cashy

Via the Daily News yesterday -

But it’s worth pointing out that Martinez twice made a bid to join his “daddies” in the family business – once when he was a free agent after the 2004 season, and again earlier this summer when he was also a free agent and worked out for numerous major league scouts.

Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said that in both instances, there was a slim chance that Martinez was going to sign with the Yankees, but for very different reasons. Five years ago, Martinez’s monetary demands were one hurdle for George Steinbrenner and Cashman, but the more serious concern was the righthander’s long-term durability.

“At that time we had internal information about his health that turned out to be accurate,” Cashman said yesterday after the Yankees’ workout at Citizens Bank Park. “We thought he was going to break down and he did.”

Martinez eventually signed with the Mets for four years and $54 million, but the health worries proved valid, as he made just 79 starts for them, going 32-23 with a 3.88ERA. Martinez’s woes included missing most of 2007 after rotator-cuff surgery. Martinez had a separate meeting with Steinbrenner in Tampa during that winter of 2004-05, which Cashman did not attend, a meeting that Martinez reflected on fondly during a 2005 interview.

“You know, Mr. Steinbrenner was a gentleman. Everybody in the Yankees organization was very gentlemanly to me,” Martinez said then. A source familiar with the meeting said that Steinbrenner even teased Martinez about his unruly hair at the time, and said that if the righthander did sign, he would have to get a haircut.

This past summer, Cashman said Martinez was asking for $5 million for half a season, which was too rich for even the Yankees. Martinez eventually signed with the defending champion Phillies for $1 million, plus incentives.

“We took a look at him, but he didn’t throw well in front of us. They said he was throwing 95. He was throwing 87, 88,” said Cashman. “What he showed us wasn’t what we were told. He was looking for $5 million. When he recalculated his demand, he didn’t tell us about it. We might have had interest.”

Cashman said Martinez pitched “fantastic” on Thursday night, when the 38-year-old gave up three runs on six hits over six-plus innings, while striking out eight. Enough to warrant another look by the Yankees this winter, when he’ll be a free agent again?

“Every year we have to plan the trade and free-agent market. We’ll assess what we might like. We’ll line the boards up and rank them accordingly,” said Cashman. “But he clearly was healthy and pitched great.”

Now you know…apparently $4 million dollars is the difference between a “yes” and a “no” in Yankeeland these days…when it comes to taking a flier. Let’s just hope that four-mill doesn’t come back to haunt New York in Game 5 or 6 of this World Series (should there be a Game 6, of course).

Filed under Trap Door Items ·  Print This Post ·  Email This Post