Former Phillies Pitcher Leaves MLB Shortly After Posting Nightmarish 108.00 ERA
Former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Yunior Marte's Major League Baseball career has hit a significant pause after a single, disastrous outing for the Cincinnati Reds. Marte posted a 108.00 ERA in just one-third of an inning, leading to his immediate designation for assignment. After a brief stint with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, he requested his release and is now returning to Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball league, signing with the Rakuten Eagles. Marte, who pitched over 60 games for the Phillies in 2023-2024, previously found success in Japan. This move offers him a chance to revive his career overseas, with the possibility of earning another MLB opportunity or securing a long-term deal in Asia. Phillies fans remember Marte as a promising acquisition who didn't quite reach his full potential in Philadelphia.
A former Philadelphia Phillies pitcher has seen his time in Major League Baseball come to an end, or at least take a significant pause, after he made just one big-league appearance this season.
In a single outing for the Cincinnati Reds, two-year Phillies reliever Yunior Marte posted a nightmarish 108.00 ERA and was designated for assignment shortly afterward. He briefly joined the Pittsburgh Pirates organization after that, but without a clear path to a major league return, he requested a release and will be looking to bounce back elsewhere.
Marte will now return to Japan’s Nippon Professional Baseball league after his brief stop back in MLB.
“The Rakuten Eagles are signing former Chunichi Dragons RHP Yunior Marte, who was released by Pittsburgh this week to return to NPB,” the team posted on X, formerly Twitter.
Since Marte appeared in more than 60 games for the Phillies in 2023 and 2024, posting a 5.79 ERA with 61 strikeouts, he logged just the single appearance with the Reds before leaving affiliated baseball.
“The 31-year-old Marte appeared in one game with the Reds earlier this season,” Steve Adams wrote for MLB Trade Rumors. “He was tagged for four runs in just one-third of an inning, resulting in an absurd-looking 108.00 ERA on the season, though obviously there’s not much to glean from one miserable outing. The Reds designated Marte for assignment following that lone appearance.”
While the numbers look staggering, they stem entirely from one disastrous relief outing, making them more of a statistical oddity than a complete reflection of Marte's abilities.
And Marte has already experienced professional success in Japan, making a return to NPB a logical next step after his latest setback in North America. But at this point, his best hope might be to finish out his career in Asia.
“A strong performance could earn him another look with a North American club but would also potentially position him to re-sign for a nice guarantee with a team in Japan or South Korea,” Adams added.
But Phillies fans will remember Marte as a promising young pitcher who was added via an offseason trade with the San Francisco Giants, where he began his big-league career, though he never quite realized his potential in Philadelphia.
“The Phillies acquired Marte from the Giants (in 2023) in exchange for left-hander Erik Miller,” CBS Sports reported at the time. “Marte reached the majors for the first time in 2022 as a 27-year-old, logging a 5.44 ERA and 1.44 WHIP while striking out 44 over 48 innings. With the Giants bringing aboard Luke Jackson (elbow) on a two-year deal … Marte would have been a candidate to lose his spot on the 40-man roster, so San Francisco made the decision to trade him away to get a younger asset in Miller in return.”
Although his latest MLB opportunity ended almost immediately, Marte now heads back to a familiar environment with the Eagles. If he can rediscover the form that previously made him an attractive bullpen option, another path back to Major League Baseball could eventually emerge.