Playing abroad in Japan has become a popular option for many failed Major League Baseball players in recent years who want to revive their careers.
Spencer Howard, a former top prospect, just signed with the Rakuten Golden Eagles of Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) earlier this winter, so the Philadelphia Phillies are undoubtedly familiar with that. Jake Cave, a former bench player, also accepted a contract overseas this offseason, joining the Korea Baseball Organization’s (KBO) Doosan Bears.
Another former member of the Phillies is currently leaving for another country. According to Francys Romero, reliever Yunior Marte has agreed to a one-year contract worth $1.25 million with $200,000 in incentives with the Chunichi Dragons of the NPB. After the 2024 season ended, Marte left the Phillies for free agency and signed a minor league contract with the Seattle Mariners earlier this winter. The Dragons will buy out that contract to get his services, according to Gaijin Baseball.
After struggling in MLB, former Phillies reliever Yunior Marte signed with the NPB’s Chunichi Dragons.
Following a trade with the San Francisco Giants in the 2022–2023 winter, Marte spent the previous two seasons with the Phillies. But for almost his whole time with Philadelphia, the 30-year-old right-hander battled ineffectiveness and inconsistency, which prevented him from reaching his full potential. He thus frequently found himself hanging out with the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, their Triple-A minor league club.
In just 26 innings thrown over 23 bullpen appearances last season, Marte gave up 20 earned runs on 34 hits with 15 walks and 23 strikeouts, recording a miserable 6.92 ERA and 1.89 WHIP. His collapse against the Arizona Cardinals on August 10th really said it all about his disappointing season.
He also suffered from shoulder injuries during the start and finish of his difficult 2024 campaign, which only served to exacerbate the situation. During his two dismal seasons in Philadelphia, Marte ended with a 1-1 record, 5.79 ERA, 1.73 WHIP, and 61 strikeouts in 65 1/3 innings pitched across 63 games.
After signing the minor league contract last November, Marte still had the opportunity to revive his MLB career with Seattle. However, by seizing the chance to play for the Dragons, he probably thinks that a stint in Japan would provide him with the finest opportunity to improve his skills while earning a steady paycheck.
After his experience abroad, perhaps the former Phillies closer will have more luck returning to Major League Baseball in the future.
Leave a Reply