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Arizona Diamondbacks sign closing pitcher to massive new contract

Originally posted on Burn City Sports | By Ben Bliklen | Last updated Mar 22, 2025 9:46 AM ET

The Diamondbacks have agreed to a 5-year, $18 million dollar contract with relief pitcher Justin Martinez. Solidifying a closer for the future.

There was a bunch of praise for Martinez, as D-backs bullpen coach Wellington Cepeda mentioned, “He’s worked his tail off during the offseason to be more consistent.” (per: Arizona Sports). Justin Martinez, just 22 years old, gets a rightfully deserved long term contract. The kid is a stud, we all know that. Now, we get to see him grow as well. The Diamondbacks know what they want, the fans seem to reciprocate the feeling, and now it is just a matter of the front office putting the product out there.

This is another team friendly contract it seems like, dealt from the hands of general manager Mike Hazen and owner Ken Kendrick. Whether it’s Ketel Marte, Corbin Carroll, or now Justin Martinez.. they see talent, lock it up, and make it ours. Solidifying a closer for the foreseeable future seemed to be on our radar, and we can all feel relief knowing this kid is bought in, and bringing the heat. That might just be how a culture is built, I don’t have a blueprint though on this though, I’m just a musician.

Does this mean that Justin Martinez is the closer of the Diamondbacks, only time will tell. Torey Lovullo has always relied on J-Mart in certain games, as per his matchup requirements. Sometimes the beauty of baseball relies on instincts, analytics, and the trust in your staff. Lovullo has obviously shown all of that before, and it led us to a World Series appearance.

This article first appeared on Burn City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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