Agent: Cueto wanted to sign with Red Sox

The opportunity to work with one of the best pitchers in major-league history had free-agent right-hander Johnny Cueto hoping the Boston Red Sox would come calling.

"Johnny really wanted to go to the Red Sox," Cueto's agent, Bryce Dixon, told Peter Gammons. "His idol is Pedro Martinez. He wanted to be with him. When he threw the shutout in the World Series, one of the first things he said was, 'Did Pedro ever throw a game like that in the postseason?'"

Both Cueto and Martinez hail from the Dominican Republic. The Hall of Famer Martinez now works as a special assistant for the Red Sox.

While visiting Fenway Park as a member of the Kansas City Royals in August, Cueto mentioned he would be open to signing with the Red Sox when he hit free agency in the winter.

"I would like to come here because it’s a championship-caliber team," Cueto told WEEI.

The 29-year-old is still an option for Boston after turning down a $120-million offer from the Arizona Diamondbacks earlier this month; however, it appears highly unlikely the Red Sox will be willing to sign another high-priced free-agent arm after handing out $217 million to David Price.

An All-Star for the first time in 2014, Cueto struggled after landing with the Royals at the non-waiver trade deadline in July, going 4-7 with a 4.76 ERA over 13 starts. The eight-year veteran is 36-24 with a 2.81 ERA and 1.04 WHIP across the last three seasons.