According to Francys Romero at beisbolfr.com, Raidel Martinez, a Cuban closer from the Chunichi Dragons, will stay in Japan for the 2025 regular season.
Romero also stated that several MLB teams are bidding to sign Martinez.
Cuban star closer Raidel Martinez will stay in Japan for at least one more season, per sources.
Several teams are bidding to sign Martinez who finished a dream 2024 in NPB with 43 saves and 1.09 ERA.
Free story at Beisbol FR: https://t.co/LpPsZYzWLy
— Francys Romero (@francysromeroFR) October 9, 2024
Martinez, 27, was born in Pinar del Rio, Cuba, and has played seven seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball with the Chunichi Dragons.
Romero stated that Martinez has multiple team offers in Japan with the Yokohama DeNA Baystars and Fukuoka Softbank Hawks ranging from $8 million to $10 million for the 2025 season. He has also not yet decided if he will be with the Cuban national team in the World Baseball Softball Confederation Premier12 tournament in November.
Martinez was an NPB All-Star from 2022-24 during his seven-year career and played for the Cuban national team at the World Baseball Classic in 2017 and 2023.
Martinez helped Cuba reach the 2023 WBC semifinals in Miami at loanDepot Park and lost to the United States 14-2.
In the 2023 WBC, he went 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA in three appearances, recorded one save, pitched four innings, and allowed three hits.
During 2024, Martinez posted a 2-3 record with a 1.09 ERA in 60 appearances out of the bullpen, throwing 58 innings. He accomplished 43 saves, allowing 35 hits, seven earned runs, one home run, 12 walks, 59 strikeouts, and a 0.810 WHIP.
His 43 saves were the fourth-best single-season total in NPB, ranking him behind behind Dennis Sarfate’s 54 in 2017, Hitoki Iwase’s 46 in 2005 and Kyuji Fujikawa’s 46 in 2007 total, and Kazuhiro Sasaki’s 45 in 1998.
In 2023, Martinez went 3-1 with a 0.39 ERA in 48 appearances and 32 saves, throwing 46.2 innings, allowing 31 hits, two earned runs, one home run, four walks, 62 strikeouts, and a 0.750 WHIP.
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WBN NPB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/japan/
Photo Credit: Raidel Martinez #92 of Team Cuba celebrates after getting the last out to defeat Team Australia 4-3 in the World Baseball Classic quarterfinal at Tokyo Dome on March 15, 2023 in Tokyo, Japan. (Photo by Kenta Harada/Getty Images)
