The Pirates cut ties with the veterans in the Triple-A division on Saturday. The right hand Yunior Marte and foreign player Dominic Fletcher they were released, according to the group. Marte signed a minor league contract with the club in early June. Fletcher has been in the organization all season.
Marte opened the year with the Reds. He spent most of the campaign at Triple-A Louisville, but made some appearances with the big league team. He gave up four earned runs in late May against the Braves, recording just one. Marte was given an assignment soon after.
The exit with Cincinnati marked Marte’s return to the big leagues after spending 2025 in Japan. The righty posted a career-best 1.95 ERA in 35 games with the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball. NPB’s strong performance earned him a minor league deal with the Reds.
Marte spent less than a month in the Pittsburgh program. He allowed five earned runs in five games with Indianapolis. The 31-year-old is expected to return to NPB, reports Danny Demilio of Pittsburgh Baseball Now.
Fletcher has had occasional work with the White Sox over the past two seasons. He was released a second time in October and chose to work for free. The 28-year-old came to the Pirates on a minor league deal that included an invitation to Spring Training. He had a July 1 exit from his contract, which he used, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. Pittsburgh declined to add him to the big league roster and allowed him to be released. He returned home for what turned out to be his final game in Indianapolis on Friday. The game was suspended yesterday and resumed today, without Fletcher.
With Oneil Cruz went down due to injury, Pittsburgh could look to Fletcher to fill the void of a hitter with chops up the middle. The club chose the right swing Billy Cook at that time. Esmerlyn Valdez since then it has emerged as an everyday option in the outfield. Jake Mangum has a strong campaign. It was not clear that Fletcher was slipping the calendar, the Pirates decided to let him pursue other opportunities instead of calling him up.
Fletcher was an above-average hitter when he debuted for the Diamondbacks in 2023. He was treated so badly that he came to Chicago to get a right hand. Cristian Mena that offseason. Fletcher struggled to deliver consistent production with the White Sox. He also missed significant time with a shoulder injury. Fletcher can play all three outfield positions, so he can find a home with another team.
Photo courtesy of Frank Bowen IV of The Enquirer via Imagn Images
