Seattle Mariners Acquire Left-Handed Reliever From Pittsburgh Pirates
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After days of rumors, the Seattle Mariners finally made an addition to their bullpen.
The Mariners acquired left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson from the Pittsburgh Pirates in return for minor league right-handed pitcher Jeter Martinez on Wednesday. The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal was first to report the deal.
Mariners acquiring Caleb Ferguson from Pirates, source tells @TheAthletic
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 30, 2025
Martinez is ranked the team's No. 13 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline. He has a 6.18 ERA with 60 strikeouts in 62.2 innings pitched across 16 starts for the Single-A Modesto Nuts this season.
Ferguson has played eight seasons in the major leagues. He pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers from 2018-23 and has pitched for the Houston Astros, New York Yankees and Pirates since.
Ferguson signed a one-year, $3 million contract with Pittsburgh before the season.
Ferguson has posted a 3.74 ERA this season with 34 strikeouts in 43.1 innings pitched across 45 appearances. He's allowed an opposing batting average of .214 and has a 3.14 FIP.
Ferguson generates weak contact consistently and has solid-to-great underlying numbers. He has a 2.87 expected ERA (xERA), which ranks in the 91st percentile in baseball, according to Baseball Savant. His barrel rate (3.3%), hard-hit rate (25.2%) and ground-ball rate (51.2%) rank in the 97th, 100th and 86th percentile in baseball, respectively.
Ferguson offers Seattle another left-handed arm out of the bullpen who's capable of throwing in middle and high-leverage spots. The Mariners' middle-inning arms have proved to be inconsistent this season, and Ferguson's veteran presence and experience in those situations could provide a boost to the bullpen.
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