A series by your favorite esteemed writer Graham Wexler looking at one potential off-season trade per team.
Montreal Expos Acquire RP Pedro Martinez and a 1997 4th round pick from San Francisco Giants
for a 1995 3rd round pick
The Montreal Expos don’t need a splash. They just need stability.
Fresh off finishing with the second-best record in the league, the Expos are entering 1996 with a loaded roster. Their early exit from the playoffs was dissapointing, but nothing to tear down the roster for. Even with the Washington Senators having three picks in the top 5 of the draft, the Expos are still the best team in the United League. Rather than overcorrect with a blockbuster, the Expos make a smart, subtle move — acquiring right-handed reliever Pedro Martinez from the San Francisco Giants in a small draft pick swap.
This is not the on-pace-for-the-Hall-of-Fame Pedro. This Pedro is a 26-year-old bullpen arm who quietly posted a 2.38 ERA over 22.2 innings for San Francisco with nearly 10 strikeouts per 9 and a devastating slider/splitter combo. Right-handed batters hit just .121 against him.
The price? A modest one: Montreal parts with a 3rd-round pick and gets a 4th back. The Expos add a valuable middle-innings piece without disrupting their chemistry or depth. Martinez likely slots in as a 6th/7th inning option — a low-cost upgrade with potential upside if his control improves. While he hasn’t pitched a lot in the majors, his 2.56 career ERA and 182 ERA+ shouldn’t be ignored. Not to mention the obnoxiousness that it will cause the commisioner everytime a new lineup is being posted.
For San Francisco, it’s a pragmatic move: they cash in on a fringe bullpen arm and pick up slightly better draft capital in a year where they have already declared they will be retooling anyway.
Smart, quiet, efficient — exactly how great teams stay great.