The Arizona Diamondbacks have invited Seth Martinez to Spring Training. The Arizona-born right-handed pitcher was claimed off waivers from the Houston Astros back in November. He will be given a long look at competing for a spot in the bullpen with a chance to be on the Opening Day roster as a middle relief arm.
Diamondbacks Invite Seth Martinez to Spring Training
Homecoming
Martinez grew up in Sierra Vista, Arizona. He attended and played baseball at Sunrise Mountain High School in Peoria, winning 19 games. He went on to play for the Arizona State Sun Devils, pitching as both a starter and in relief in his three seasons there. In those three seasons, he made 46 appearances and won 16 games with 186 strikeouts in 244 innings.
Time in Houston
After being a Rule 5 draft pick in 2020, Martinez spent three decent seasons in Houston. Last season, he had a 3.59 ERA, with 36 strikeouts in 52.2 innings. He also set a career-high with 44 appearances. While he was always someone the Astros believed could have an impact, he wasn’t able to stay on the major league club for a full season. As a pitcher who had multiple options available for being sent back to Triple-A when others in the bullpen did not, Martinez was the pitcher sent up and down multiple times over his career.
Pitching Mix
Last year, Martinez went with a four-pitch mix. His fastball was used around a third of the time, followed by a sweeper and a sinker, with an occasional changeup, according to FanGraphs. He showed signs of being effective with his four-seam fastball, although it stays in the low 90 mph range, along with his sweeper pitch, both led to many groundball outs.
Veteran Presence
The Arizona Diamondbacks have invited Seth Martinez to Spring Training to join a bullpen that had considerable struggles in 2024. With his veteran presence and experience with the competitive environment in Houston, look for him to be a positive influence on veteran arms like Kevin Ginkel, Joe Mantiply, and A. J. Puk, as well as on younger relievers Drey Jameson and Justin Martinez (no relation).
Contract
Martinez is still under a pre-arbitration contract until 2026. Also, he won’t be a free agent until 2029. Having a pitcher like Martinez exemplifies the type of lower-cost reliever that Manager Torey Lovullo likes to have. That is, a pitcher with a high-quality arm who can be effective in both long and short relief. In addition, the contract is relatively inexpensive.
Positive Impact
There will be a lot of baseball to be played over the next six weeks and moves to be made. However, if Martinez can make the team out of Spring Training, it might positively impact him. Getting a chance to pitch for your hometown team is always energizing and thrilling. We know the Diamondbacks want to make it back to the playoffs, and having another veteran bullpen arm like Martinez will only help.
Main Photo Credits: Erik Williams-Imagn Images
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