Mariners trade away pitching prospect named Jeter to add bullpen arm from Pirates

The Seattle Mariners picked up a left-handed pitcher for their MLB bullpen on Wednesday. That's Caleb Ferguson.

But the Mariners had to trade away an intriguing prospect to get the deal done, giving the Pittsburgh Pirates back a young arm with a great name.

Going back to the Pirates in the trade, per MLB insider Francys Romero: Jeter Martinez.

That's quite the baseball name.

Martinez is a 6-foot-4, 180-pound right-handed pitcher from Mexico.

He made his professional debut in 2023 for the Mariners' team in the Dominican Summer League. He was great there, with a 1.72 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 47 innings.

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In 2024, Martinez went to the Arizona Complex League. He was solid again, putting up a 3.86 ERA with 49 strikeouts in 39.2 innings.

This season, Martinez has pitched for Modesto in Single-A. He has struggled more, with a 6.18 ERA. He's nearly three years younger than the average player age in that league, though, so it could just be a bump in the road.

Even in the middle of this season's struggles, Martinez has 60 strikeouts in 62.2 innings. Walks have been the trouble, with 38 of them in that span.

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He's probably a long way from the majors, so it's a logical deal for the Mariners to make as they chase the postseason.

It's a fun return for the Pirates, too, who had no need for Ferguson. It's tough to get a better name than Jeter Martinez.

If he can pitch up to that name, this will be a gem for Pittsburgh. 

And if not, it's not much skin off their back to give away a middle reliever while way out of contention.

Seattle prospect watchers will miss that Martinez is no longer a member of the Mariners' organization.

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