Pirates Land Mariners Pitching Prospect in Trade

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates added a pitching prospect in a recent trade that they hope will develop into a great talent in the future.

The Pirates traded left-handed relief pitcher Caleb Ferguson to the Seattle Mariners for right-handed pitching prospect Jeter Martinez on July 30.

Martinez hails from Durango, the capital city of the state of Durango in Mexico, with a population of 1.8 million people. He was also born on Feb. 6, 2006 and joins the Pirates at 19-years old.

Seattle signed Martinez as an international free agent in January 2023 for $600,000 and he played for the Dominican Summer League (DSL) Mariners that season.

Martinez had a strong first season of professional baseball, with a 2-2 record in eight starts and 10 appearances, a 1.72 ERA over 47.2 innings pitched, 55 strikeouts to 20 walks, a .109 opposing batting average and a 0.79 WHIP.

He then pitched for the Arizona Complex League (ACL) Mariners in 2024. He posted an 0-4 record over 13 appearances and 11 starts, a 3.86 ERA over 39.2 innings pitched, posting 49 strikeouts to 31 walks, a .207 opposing batting average and a 1.54 WHIP.

Martinez struggled this season with Single-A Modesto in the California League. He had a 2-6 record in 16 starts, a 6.16 ERA over 62.2 innings pitched, 60 strikeouts to 38 walks, a .264 opposing batting average and a 1.61 WHIP.

MLB Pipeline ranked Martinez as the Mariners' 13th best prospect and re-ranked him as the Pirates' 21st best prospect after the trade.

Martinez throws three pitches in a fastball, a slider and a changeup and can reach up to 100 mph on that fastball, but it generally sits around the mid-90s.

He stands 6-foot-4 and has the frame for a strong starting pitcher, but his control is still an issue, which has led to his struggles since he started pitching in the United States this year.

Martinez has an 8.62 K/9, which might bode well for a future reliever, but his 5.46 BB/9 is still will need some refining over this year and going into next season.

He will start with High-A Greensboro, along with two other top Pirates right-handed pitching prospects in Carlson Reed (21st overall) and Khristian Curtis (25th overall).