When Pedro Martinez speaks, the Boston Red Sox might want to listen.

Martinez hasn’t thrown a pitch for the Red Sox since the 2004 World Series, but Red Sox fans who were around back then will never forget the dominance that was displayed every time the right-hander took the mound at the late 1990s and early 2000s. At his peak, he was easily the best pitcher in Boston history.

Now, Martinez may be able to help the Red Sox in a different way: by serving as a shadow general manager.

Martinez recently named his top three free agent pitching targets for the Red Sox, and it’s a list littered with superstars. They were Corbin Burnes of the Baltimore Orioles, Max Fried of the Atlanta Braves and Walker Buehler of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“All of them are free agents,” Martinez said Friday at his foundation’s gala, by NESN. “Burnes, I would have to say Max Fried. All these guys who are there. Walker Buehler, all of them. I’m a big fan of pitchers. I hope I can get all the help I can.

While this is certainly a general quote from Martinez, all three pitchers named to the Hall of Fame have at least generally been linked to the Red Sox through speculation. Burnes and Fried are coming off their All-Star seasons, while Buehler earned a win and the clinching save in the World Series.

Burnes and Fried are also very different from Buehler in terms of the contracts they will command. Both All-Stars know now is the time to cash in on long-term contracts (six or seven years, most likely), while Buehler will likely seek a lucrative one-year deal (maybe two) to increase its value to the club. next free agent cycle.

Is the Red Sox front office being exploited in what Martinez, now a television analyst, says about their offseason? Maybe not, but at the same time, it doesn’t hurt to get the opinion of a Hall of Famer.

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