Pirates Land Mariners Pitching Prospect in Trade
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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).
The Mariners are trading RHP Jeter Martinez to the Pirates for LHP Caleb Ferguson, per @JonathanMayo
— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) July 30, 2025
Martinez ranked No. 21 in Seattle's system.
Big arm who has been up to 100 mph in the past but has struggled with strike-throwing. pic.twitter.com/qF2hEbLGfm
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.