MacPhail did say over the weekend that the club had had internal discussions about the possibility of adding Martinez but indicated no contact had been made and it was not a real option.
That does not mean the Orioles don't think Martinez can still pitch. To the contrary, the hitters who faced him during the exhibition game against the Dominican team were impressed.
"He's still got good stuff," center fielder Adam Jones said. "He can't throw 99 [mph] like he used to, but he's still got good stuff. He looks more determined."
Jones does not have a lot of experience with Martinez, but Aubrey Huff has seen him more than he would care to remember. He didn't see the same guy who used to dominate hitters with his fastball and keep them off balance with his aggressive nature on the mound, but he did see a guy who could still pitch.
"It's spring training," Huff said, "but he was getting it up there pretty good. He's still got a pretty good arm. I saw some [WBC] highlights the other day, and he was blowing some guys away."
Catcher Gregg Zaun was more skeptical about how much Martinez has left in the tank but said he feels having an accomplished pitcher like Martinez in the clubhouse would be a benefit to the young Orioles.
"Yes, he could help," Zaun said. "He'll be able to pitch, whether or not he can regain a noticeable amount of zip on his fastball. He'd provide a nice veteran presence and be a tremendous role model for the young players, especially the Latin players."
Perhaps the strongest endorsement came from second baseman Brian Roberts.
"Pedro will always be able to pitch," he said. "Obviously, he's not going to throw 96 again, but he's still Pedro."
So, would it be a crazy idea to add him to an Orioles staff that is short on healthy bodies and experience?
"No," Roberts said. "I said when he was pitching against us, 'If he was healthy, I'd take him.' "
Listen to Peter Schmuck from spring training every weeknight at 6 on WBAL (1090 AM).
