ORLANDO, Fla. -- Despite having several offers on the table, Pedro Martinez has decided he will not play in the 2010 season, his agent told ESPNdeportes.com on Wednesday.
"After a meeting to make a decision about his immediate future, Pedro decided he will not play in 2010, even though he is not ready to retire indefinitely from baseball," said Fernando Cuza in a telephone conversation.
Martinez, 38, asked Cuza to withdraw from all pending negotiations with Major League teams for this season.
"This doesn't mean that Pedro is announcing his retirement from baseball because it's possible that he will change his mind for next year," said Cuza. "But today he asked me to call all the teams that were interested to announce his decision."
Cuza explained that multiple contending teams presented offers for Martinez to pitch in the second half. Last year he went 5-1 with a 3.63 ERA as a starter for the Philadelphia Phillies during the regular season. He pitched from Aug. 12 through the World Series for the NL champions.
"Pedro is grateful for the interest shown by some clubs, but at this point he decided to put his family before baseball," Cuza said. "Later on, he'll decide when he will say his final goodbye."
According to Cuza, the Phillies were one of the clubs interested in signing Martinez.
The right-hander is 219-100 for his career with a 2.93 ERA and 3,154 strikeouts in 18 seasons with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Montreal Expos, Boston Red Sox, New York Mets and Phillies.
Martinez won the NL Cy Young in 1997 with Montreal, and twice more in the AL in 1999 and 2000 with Boston. This season he threw the ceremonial first pitch on Opening Day at Fenway Park.
Enrique Rojas is a reporter and columnist for ESPNdeportes.com and ESPN.com.