Philadelphia Phillies reliever Yunior Marte has found a new opportunity with the Pittsburgh Pirates, signing with the club and reporting to its Triple-A affiliate.
Marte spent parts of two seasons in Philadelphia, where he was a regularly utilized but often inconsistent member of the bullpen during the team’s postseason appearances.
The move comes after a difficult stretch for the right-hander, including a short-lived tenure in the Cincinnati Reds organization that failed to lead to a return to the major leagues.
Despite those setbacks, Marte remains an experienced arm with significant MLB service time.
For the Pirates, the signing is a low-cost, low-risk addition that strengthens organizational pitching depth. Pittsburgh will look to see if the veteran can regain the effectiveness he showed earlier in his career.
Marte’s professional journey has taken him through multiple organizations and even overseas to Japan. Now, the Pirates are giving the 30-year-old another chance to rebuild his value and potentially work his way back to the big leagues.
The Philadelphia Phillies have built a reputation for maintaining one of the National League’s strongest pitching staffs over the past several years.
While frontline stars such as Zack Wheeler, Cristopher Sanchez, and Jhoan Duran have received much of the spotlight, the organization has also relied on a steady stream of relievers and depth pitchers to keep its bullpen competitive.
Among those arms was Yunior Marte, who spent two seasons with the Phillies as a regularly used middle reliever.
Though his performances were often uneven, Marte became a familiar part of Philadelphia’s bullpen during the club’s recent postseason appearances.
Now, the veteran right-hander has landed a new opportunity with one of the Phillies’ closest rivals.
Earlier this month, Marte signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates and was initially assigned to the organization’s Florida Complex League team before being promoted to Triple-A Indianapolis, according to transaction records.
The move comes after a difficult stretch in Marte’s career, including a brief stint with the Cincinnati Reds organization.
After being removed from Cincinnati’s 40-man roster and entering free agency, Marte struggled in his lone major league appearance with the Reds, allowing four runs while recording just one out.
Despite those recent struggles, the Pirates believe the 30-year-old still possesses enough potential to warrant another opportunity.
For Pittsburgh, the signing is a low-risk move that adds experienced pitching depth to the organization while giving Marte a chance to work his way back into major league consideration later this season.
