Pirates continue sell-off by trading Caleb Ferguson to contender with deep farm

The Pittsburgh Pirates made their first big move ahead of the trade deadline on Wednesday when they dealt Gold Glove third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes to the Cincinnati Reds, but they didn't stop there.

According to a report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Pirates are also dealing left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson to the Seattle Mariners. The return, according to Jonathan Mayo of MLB Pipeline, is right-handed pitching prospect Jeter Martinez.

Ferguson is 2-2 with a 3.74 ERA in 43 1/3 innings with the Pirates this year, and the Mariners are four games back of the Houston Astros in the American League West and currently in possession of the third and final AL Wild Card spot. The addition of Ferguson will give them a veteran lefty arm in their bullpen as they begin their final push to secure a spot in the postseason.

The Pirates, on the other hand, have already shifted their focus to 2026. Ferguson was likely to be traded ahead of the deadline, given that he was set to become a free agent at the end of the season. The Pirates also received veteran lefty reliever Tyler Rogers from the Reds as part of the Hayes trade, which should help fill the void in the Pirates' bullpen almost immediately. Pittsburgh also has southpaw Ryan Borucki, who is nearing a return from the injured list.

Pirates continue deadline sell-off, trade Caleb Ferguson to Mariners for top-15 prospect Jeter Martinez

Martinez, the No. 13 prospect in the Mariners' system according to MLB Pipeline, was ranked as one of the Top 50 International Prospects in 2023 when he signed with Seattle for a $600,000 bonus.

The 6-foot-4, 180-pound Martinez is being developed as a starter with a fastball that sits around 94-95 mph and touches the upper 90s. He still needs to refine his command, but he is only 19 years old and has plenty of time to continue developing in the minor leagues.

In 16 starts this season for Single-A Modesto, Martinez has pitched to a 6.18 ERA over 62 2/3 innings. He is a solid get for a rental reliever, but he still has a lot of work to do in order to carve out a starting role at the MLB level.

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