The Pittsburgh Pirates tonight acquired right-handed pitcher Jeter Martinez from Seattle, in exchange for left-handed pitcher Caleb Ferguson.
Martinez was rated by both MLB Pipeline (No. 13) and Baseball America (No. 22) as a top-30 prospect in Seattle’s organization at the time he was acquired.
The 19-year-old Martinez went 2-6 with a 6.18 ERA (62.2ip/43er) and 60 strikeouts in 16 starts with Low-A Modesto this season. He ranked tied for fifth among all Mariners farmhands in starts and tied for ninth in strikeouts at the time of the trade.
During the 2024 season, Martinez was 0-4 with a 3.86 ERA (39.2ip/17er) and 49 strikeouts over 13 appearances (11 starts) with the rookie-level Arizona Complex League Mariners. His 11 starts were tied for the most in the league.
Martinez was signed by Seattle as a non-drafted free agent on January 15, 2023. That season, he made his professional debut with the rookie-level Dominican Summer League Mariners, going 2-2 with a 1.72 ERA (47.0ip/9er), 55 strikeouts, a .109 batting average against (17-for-156) and a 0.79 WHIP.
Martinez was recognized as a Dominican Summer League mid-season All-Star in his first professional season. He finished 2023 leading the league in both batting average against and WHIP.