In the last week, the most persistent buzz around the Pirates clubhouse had to do with Pedro Martinez and the possibility that he would be have his own locker there soon.

Ain't happenin.'

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, team management has not been in contact with the 38-year-old Martinez or his agent nor does it have any intention to do so in the future.

I'm not sure how this started – Martinez, pitching coach Joe Kerrigan and general manager Neal Huntington were in the Montreal Expos organization together, so connect the dots maybe? -- because the veteran strikes me as an odd fit here.

When contacted on Sunday evening, Huntington told me, “It's our team policy not to discuss whatever contract negotiations we may or may not have had with free agents in public.”

The team is committed to starters Zach Duke, Paul Maholm, Charlie Morton and Ross Ohlendorf, which leaves the fifth spot as the only potential vacancy at the moment. And Brad Lincoln is the near future there.

As for the bullpen, which has been lights-out for much of the season, there's no need to tinker with it right now.

Pitcher Octavio Dotel spoke with Martinez on a regular basis. He said that, if the three-time Cy Young Award-winner went anywhere, it would be with a World Series contender.

“Where he is at in his career now, Pedro wants to go where he can play for something this year,” said Dotel, who like Martinez was a Dominican Republic native. “That's what I think, anyway.”

Of course, the big question is, can Martinez still pitch? The guy hasn't done it in the major leagues since he was with the Philadelphia Phillies last season, when he had a 5-1 record and 3.63 earned run average in nine starts.

“Yeah, I think he can,” Dotel said. “When I saw him last year, he pitched some very good games. He works out in the Dominican and wants to pitch again. Pedro still got it.”

Maybe Pedro does, maybe he doesn't. But it appears that older brother Ramon will remain the only family member to have pitched in a Pirates uniform for now.