Thursday Links: No surprise here: Pedro Martinez will enter the Hall of Fame as a Red Sox

What little doubt there was about Pedro Martinez entering the Hall of Fame as anything other than a Red Sox can officially be put to rest.

Major League Baseball announced on Thursday that the former three time Cy Young Award winner will don a Red Sox cap on his Hall of Fame plaque. Martinez, who will join the Hall of Fame along side of Randy Johnson, John Smoltz, and Craig Biggio, will officially be enshrined in Cooperstown this Summer.

Martinez, whose 18 year career spanned 5 different cities, enjoyed his best years as a member for the Red Sox. In his 7 season stay in Boston, the right-hander won two Cy Young Awards, lead the league in ERA and ERA+ in four seasons, and collected the most strikeouts in the Majors three times. As a whole, Martinez finished his career as a Red Sox with a 2.26 ERA and over 1,400 strike outs in 168 starts. Among all-time starting pitchers, the Domincan Republic native’s 4.30 K/BB ratio and 10.03 K/9 rank ninth and sixth respectively.

• After signing a 7-year, $210 million deal with the Washington Nationals, Max Scherzer set a new standard for free agent starting pitchers. Going forward, Scherzer’s deal will be used as a benchmark for future free agents, and will subsequently inflate the price of next winter’s loaded starters market. For a team like the Red Sox, who have been gun-shy about allocating large deals to starting pitchers, this could mean that they’ll look elsewhere to fortify their rotation. (Max Scherzer deal likely takes Red Sox out of next year’s free agent market)

• For all the talk and conjecture surrounding Cole Hamels and the Red Sox, a trade never seemed to be in the works between Philadelphia and Boston. After an unwillingness by both sides to negotiate their asking proposals, Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. believes that his team will enter the 2015 season with the left-hander leading their rotation. (Red Sox trade rumors: Philadelphia Phillies don’t expect to trade Cole Hamels)

• Before the offseason began, most assumed that the Red Sox would push hard for a reunion with Jon Lester, and use free agent right-hander James Shields as a consolation prize. While Boston did in fact make a strong bid for their former southpaw, they’ve been virtually silent regarding James Shields. Aside from being a high mileage arm on the prowl for a big contract, Shields fly ball tendencies don’t align well with Fenway Park or the Red Sox’ ground ball heavy rotation. (Fenway Flawed: Explaining why Red Sox aren’t involved in James Shields bidding)

• Even though the Washington Nationals have assembled a super-rotation, they’re keeping the door open on potentially trading a starter. For the Red Sox, this could mean finally acquiring the young, talented, and controllable starter that Ben Cherington has been on the lookout for all winter. Of course, any trade will cost Boston one of their highly coveted prospects, but the team should make an exception if it means they land an arm like Stephen Strasburg. (If Red Sox plan to engage Nationals on pitching, don’t think small)

• Tweet of the day: Best of luck, Will.