FORT MYERS, Fla. -- In the opinion of many, Hall of Famer Pedro Martinez is the most dominant pitcher in Red Sox history.
So who better to talk to about the club’s re-stacked rotation that has ace Garrett Crochet entering his second season, solid veterans Sonny Gray and Ranger Suárez added to the mix and a Martinez protege in Brayan Bello filling out a top four that should be as formidable as any in the game?
The natural starting point is Crochet, who will pitch Opening Day on March 26 in Cincinnati and made his Grapefruit League debut on Thursday afternoon against the Rays. The performance Crochet gave at Yankee Stadium in Game 1 of last year’s American League Wild Card Series (7 2/3 innings, 1 run, 4 hits, 0 BBs, 11 K’s) was downright Pedro-like. And Martinez noticed.
“It brought back some memories of my time here. When I watched Crochet, I watched exactly what they did in ’98 [when I got here],” said Martinez, who is spending his annual stint as a special instructor in Red Sox camp this week. “There’s a guy that you can build a team around, and hopefully that's what [chief baseball officer Craig] Breslow and the rest of the organization will do -- build a team around a true ace and the rest of the staff can actually feed off what he does, how he does it, and how committed he is and how respectful he is about his job.”
Does Martinez see similarities, even though Crochet is a lefty?
“I think he’s probably got better stuff [than I did] when it comes to velo and stamina. He’s very consistent in staying right above 97 and 98 [mph],” Martinez said. “And a beautiful body to look at. You don't have to worry. He proved to everybody that all he needed was just to get a year under his belt, to get totally healthy, and he's been able to work his way around everything he needs to do, and he looks relatively fresh every time he pitches. That's amazing to see.”
In 36-year-old righty Gray, Martinez sees the type of veteran he had at his disposal in his first two seasons with the Red Sox when Bret Saberhagen was just a locker away.
“Sonny Gray is a perfect combination with Crochet,” Martinez said. “Crochet is the ace, but Sonny Gray's wisdom … he is someone who also knows how to pitch, that knows how to make it happen with lesser stuff. Sonny Gray is all the guys need when they have a question. Even Crochet can actually go to Sonny Gray and ask him some questions. He's a polished veteran that will help a lot of the young nucleus of pitchers that we have.”
Then you have another lefty in Suárez, who came to Boston on a five-year, $130 million contract after years of strong work in another big market in Philadelphia.
“Suárez is a guy that I'm hoping he stays healthy for an entire year, and hopefully we'll see possible 1-2 for the [AL] Cy Young on the same team like me and Derek Lowe [almost] did one time,” Martinez said. “He’s a true pitcher. I just need to see him healthy.”
In Bello, who spent several winters working out from the mound at Martinez’s home in the Dominican Republic, there is the very real possibility of a pitcher who can have a career year in his age 27 season.
“I think this should be his breakout year. This should be his coming out party. I think Bello is in perfect shape right now,” Martinez said. “He looks great. He looks stronger. I think this is the year I’m going to see more velo out of Bello and I think I'm going to see more consistency, because Bello is committed to work. He's working hard. He's the hardest worker, probably, on the team, and he seemed to be centered on having the year that we all expect of him.”
While some fans were looking for the Red Sox to add a thumper to the lineup rather than double down on pitching upgrades, Martinez thinks this run prevention model can work.
“I like the mix of pitchers that we have, and what I am hoping for is that we can combine all the pitching we have with good defense,” Martinez said. “Obviously, we're not going to lack offense. The kids can hit. The kids can get on base. They can steal bases. We need to improve our defense and hope everyone is healthy when the bell rings.”