The St. Louis Cardinals announced Tuesday that they have moved Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks, along with $31 million, to help cover the remaining $42 million of the All-Star third baseman’s contract. In return, the Cardinals are getting right-handed pitcher Jack Martinez, an eighth-round pick from the 2025 MLB entry draft.
Martinez played four seasons of college baseball, with his final season coming in Tempe, Arizona, at Arizona State. Martinez was a starter for the Sun Devils, starting 15 games in the 2025 season.
In those 15 starts, Martinez would strikeout 110 batters, only walking 33, and would finish the season 13th in NCAA Division 1 baseball in strikeouts per nine innings with 12.8. Against the rival Arizona Wildcats, he would rack up a season high of 12 strikeouts with just 1 walk.
While he walked just over two batters a start, he would also get hit around a fair amount, finishing the season with a 1.28 WHIP and a 5.47 ERA.
Martinez did not pitch in Minor League Baseball after being drafted; instead, he would spend his time in the Arizona Complex League. With the cutbacks in Minor League Baseball after the pandemic, this is not an unusual route for mid- to late-round draft picks.
Martinez pitches with an unorthodox delivery, falling off to the first base side. His delivery was keeping hitters at bay at the Division 1 level, and he will be an interesting prospect to keep an eye on in the Cardinals' revamped development system.
There are no guarantees with the right-handed pitcher, but one thing is certain: he has a big fastball. Martinez tops out at 97 and averages in the mid-90s on the pitch. Paired with two strong offspeed pitches, a slider that sits in the 80s, bringing a stout change of pace to the at-bat. The slider has a big sweeping movement that, paired with his unorthodox delivery, keeps hitters guessing. Martinez is a consolation prize for offloading Arenado’s contract and has some tools that could turn him into a reliable reliever in the future.