Raidel Martínez signed his contract totaling 32.5 million over four years in the Adolfo Luque Hall of the Latinoamericano stadium with the Yomiuri Giants. Martínez signed his record accord with the oldest team in the circuit and the regular season champion in the Central League during the 2025 season. Look for the native of Pinar del Río, Cuba to expand on his career high 43 games saved last season and continue to be the league’s most dominant closer.
“I am very happy to be able to be with the Yomiuri Giants, they are one of the best teams in the Central League and are always in the playoffs. Their starting rotation is very good and I will always be ready to pitch whenever I’m needed. This is a very good opportunity for me because my dream is to be in a Japan Series and win it. With the Giants I know that I will be given this opportunity to fulfill this dream. I am extremely happy they chose me to be the closer of one of the most important teams in Japan,” concluded the hurler after his signing.
Martínez made history last season becoming the NPB Pacific League saves leader with an impressive total of 43 saves. This milestone set 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 last year, Martínez has showed an 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 ends of the bullpen in the Nippon League.