Pedro's Toe Still a Problem

We've been hearing rumors of this for a while, now we have confirmation. The AP is reporting that, even after almost three months of rest, Pedro Martinez' troublesome right toe is still bothering him. This is despite wearing a protective shoe and other remedies Martinez has tried.

At a dinner with the president of the Dominican republic, thrown for major league players from that nation, Pedro was quoted:

This worries me a little because generally by this time of the year I'm already throwing.

Pedro's concern is over whether he will be able to begin training to represent the Dominican in the upcoming World Baseball Classic. He said that he expects to receive permission from the Mets to begin training soon, and apparently hopes to pitch at least a little in the Dominican winter league. He still hopes to represent his country this spring:

I want to participate and, if were up to me, I'm 100 percent committed to the Classic and to the Dominican Republic, but it will depend on my health.

Even before I saw this I didn't consider it a bad thing that the Mets have six starters, plus the possibility of Aaron Heilman as a seventh, competing for five jobs. There are just too many question marks heading into the season. As bad as the Mets seem to want to dump Kris Benson, it just doesn't make any sense right now, unless they land a Zito or other starter. And, for those that favor signing Millwood, you have to ask yourself if this team needs another medical question mark in the rotation.