As per a report by the colleague Francys Romero, Cuban right-hander Raidel Martínez is close to finalizing a two-year, 16 million dollar contract with the Yomiuri Giants of the Nippon League. The hurler was released from the protected player list November 18th and became a free agent in December giving him the freedom to negotiate with any NPB team, including Chunichi.
Martínez spoke with the Japanese press before leaving for Cuba to take a well-deserved vacation after the best season of his career as a professional player in the Japanese Professional Baseball League. “I feel very comfortable with this team and it is a good team. I really don’t want to leave the Dragons, but right now I’m not in a position to say I can go back. The fans have been very supportive and are like another family to me. I get very emotional when I think about the last eight years,” expressed the pitcher with heartfelt words.
Martínez has made history by becoming the NPB Pacific League saves leader with an impressive total of 43 saves. This milestone not only means a personal record for the talented reliever, but also established a new mark for Latin pitchers in one of the most competitive baseball circuits in the world. In 58 innings pitched this season, Martínez has showed exceptional ability to control and dominate the opposing hitters by allowing just six runs in that period reflecting not only his ability to shut down hitters, but also to remain focused and effective in high-pressure situations.
His 59 strikeouts also underscores his ability to make hitters face his pitches without finding a way to make contact, which is a direct testament to his talent and training. One of the metrics that stands out during his time in the NPB is his ERA, which has fell to 1.71 for his career. With the addition of the flamethrowing Martínez and the presence of Taisei Ota, Yomiuri now has arguably the best back end of any relieving corps in Japan.