The Philadelphia Phillies continue to stay firmly in the National League playoff race despite dealing with inconsistency throughout portions of the 2026 season. Entering the second week of June, Philadelphia sits second in the NL East with a 34-30 record and has started building momentum again after winning seven of its last ten games.
While much of the attention remains focused on the Phillies’ push to chase down the Atlanta Braves in the division standings, one former Philadelphia pitcher is officially getting another opportunity elsewhere in the National League.
Right-handed reliever who spent two seasons with the Phillies earlier in his career, has signed a minor league contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates following his recent departure from the organization.
MLB.com reported the transaction on June 6, writing: “Pittsburgh Pirates signed free agent RHP Yunior Marte to a minor league contract.”
Marte’s signing comes as the Pirates attempt to stabilize their pitching depth during a challenging stretch of the season. Pittsburgh entered Sunday trying to avoid a sweep against the Atlanta Braves at Truist Park after dropping the first two games of the series. The Pirates will then return home to host the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park on Tuesday night.
For Phillies fans, Marte’s name is still familiar because of the flashes he showed during his time in Philadelphia. After beginning his MLB career with the San Francisco Giants, Marte spent the longest stretch of his major league tenure with the Phillies. Although his overall numbers were inconsistent, the hard-throwing reliever occasionally displayed the type of arm talent that made him an intriguing bullpen option.
The 31-year-old appeared in only one game for the Reds this season before being removed from the roster. Instead of remaining in Cincinnati’s system after clearing waivers, Marte elected to test free agency.
Charlie Goldsmith of Charlie’s Chalkboard reported on June 3: “Yunior Marte has cleared waivers and informed the Reds that he will elect free agency in lieu of accepting the outright assignment.”
Now, the Pirates are hoping a change of scenery can help Marte rediscover his form. Veteran bullpen depth is always valuable over the course of a long MLB season, especially for teams battling through injuries and inconsistency on the pitching staff.
Baseball writer John Dreker summarized Marte’s major league resume by writing: “The Pirates signed RHP Yunior Marte to a minor league deal. The 31-year-old has a 5.94 ERA and a 1.64 WHIP over 103 relief appearances in the majors, including one game this year for the Reds.”
If Marte performs well in the minors, there is a realistic chance he could eventually earn a call-up to Pittsburgh later this season. For now, however, the former Phillies reliever will look to rebuild momentum and prove he still belongs at the major league level.