Martinez, Mets' top prospect, was worth holding onto

Fernando Martinez could be headed for the major leagues as early as this season. AP

By Walter Villa, Special to SI.com

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. -- He's the great Mets hope -- the prospect New York refused to trade, not even for arguably the best pitcher in the major leagues.

He's the anti-Lastings Milledge -- a young man who has earned the veterans' respect with his hard work and humble nature.

He's Fernando Martinez -- a 19-year-old outfielder the Mets protected, even when the Minnesota Twins demanded he be included in the Johan Santana deal.

Instead, the Twins settled for a quartet of prospects: outfielder Carlos Gomez and pitchers Phil Humber, Deolis Guerra and Kevin Mulvey.

The Mets got the ace they wanted in perhaps the biggest move in the majors this past offseason, but it will take years to determine which team got the better of the deal or whether New York was wise to protect Martinez in favor of one of the other prospects.

But Tony Bernazard, the Mets' Vice President of Development, is happy with the decision.

"We gave up a lot of talent," Bernazard said with a bit of a nervous laugh. "But we didn't include Fernando. And as an organization, we are happy with that."

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It's noon on Wednesday. First pitch is in an hour. Martinez is not on the field, and he is not at his locker. He's sitting next to the Mets All-Star shortstop, Jose Reyes, listening to his fellow Dominican tell one side-splitting story after another.

Martinez, a 6-1, 190-pounder from Rio San Juan, Dominican Republic, is eating chicken with rice and beans, and his eyes are dancing between his cardboard plate and the charismatic Reyes, who rises from his seat to deliver each punch line.

"I listen to the veterans," said Martinez, speaking in Spanish. "They all give me advice - Reyes, (Carlos) Beltran, Pedro (Martinez) ... I try not to bother them, but I learn all the good things they do."

Bernazard said Fernando has learned plenty.

"He wants to be great," said Bernazard, looking up from his lap top as he sits in his office. "And he knows his place."

That last piece of news already puts him ahead of last year's Mets phenom, Milledge, who was traded to the Nationals in the offseason after a brief and rocky stay in New York.

Milledge, a talented outfielder and a former first-round pick, drew the ire of Mets teammates with his brash attitude and sometimes less-than-stellar work habits. One Mets player put a note in Milledge's locker in 2006 with a message that read: "Know your place, rook."

No such worries with Martinez. But the right attitude is only part of the story. Asked if Martinez is a five-tool player, Bernazard responded quickly, "Yes. His weakest tool is his speed, but he is an above-average runner. He has a very good arm, and he can go get the ball in the outfield. But the best thing about Fernando is that he can hit for power and average."

The lefty-hitting Martinez showed some of those skills on Wednesday, stroking an opposite-field, run-scoring single in a 6-2 exhibition win over the Baltimore Orioles.

Martinez signed with the Mets in 2005. He missed part of 2006 with a thumb injury, and in 2007, when he was the Double A Eastern League's youngest player at age 18, he missed half the season with a broken bone in his right hand. Both injuries were caused by his swing, which Bernazard called "freak things." Despite his youth and his ailments, he still fashioned a .271 average, 4 homers and 21 RBI in 60 games last season. In 551 career at-bats in the minors, he has hit .276 with 14 homers and 60 RBI.

"I have faith in God that I will be healthy this year," Martinez, who is expected to start the 2008 season back at Double-A Binghamton.

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