Apparently, Boston never paid Pedro enough to turn up early. From the Associated Press :

Pedro Martinez plans to arrive at his first spring training with the New York Mets on the voluntary reporting date. Martinez, who signed a $53 million four-year contract with New York, made a habit of reporting to the Red Sox after the voluntary date but before the mandatory deadline.

“I will arrive at spring training on Feb. 17,” Martinez said yesterday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. “I’m excited with the deals the Mets are doing to strengthen the team, and I want to start working.”

New York’s first workout for pitchers, catchers, and players coming off injuries is the following day, with full-squad workouts starting Feb. 23. The mandatory reporting date for all players is March 1.