Vote for Pedro

If the season started today my KC rotation would be Greinke, Meche, Davies, Hochevar, and Horacio Ramirez. Over the last few weeks I have made my lack of faith in Horacio Ramirez pretty obvious which got me to thinking, what other options do the Royals have?

The answer I came up with is Pedro Martinez.

I know it sounds far fetched, and it probably is, but let’s dream a little. The Royals are owned by one of the most financially stable owners in MLB right now, and they have already gone over their budget to sign Juan Cruz. They did so because signing him made them a better team, and because they could actually afford to sign Juan Cruz in the current economic climate.

As for Pedro, don’t let his 5.61 ERA last year fool you, signing him could have a similar impact to signing Cruz. Pedro still struck out almost a batter per inning last season (87 in 109 innings) and had an almost 2:1 strikeout to walk ratio (87 to 44). For the Dominican Republic in the WBC Pedro pitched 6 innings giving up 1 hit, no runs, no walks, and 6 strike outs. His velocity has increased from last year and he is back to throwing in the low 90s again. Even when he was throwing in the mid-80s he was able to miss bats and get guys out for a team who was a train wreck down the stretch last season.

Pedro is without a team.

The Royals are in the need of rotation options.

The Royals legitimately can offer more money than a team like the Dodgers.

The Royals, unlike the Dodgers, can offer him a spot in their starting rotation without taking a step back.

Signing Pedro would likely pay for himself through increased attendance and interest.

If he is healthy, he could significantly improve the team.

If he gets hurt, he still could significantly improve the team by passing his knowledge and experiences on to the rest of the pitching staff. I am positive that everyone, including Bob McClure, could learn a few things from Pedro Martinez.

Having him in the rotation would put Ho-Ram back in the bullpen where he can be more effective, but still be called upon if Pedro does get hurt.

As for Brian Bannister, in my world, he would be removed from the major league roster. Sorry Bannister fans, he isn’t the answer.

I’m hoping that the Royals “Vote for Pedro” and offer him a 2 year contract at $5-6 million.