Rangers give Braves OF Martinez in exchange for Tyler Owens, a right-hander
In exchange for minor league right-hander Tyler Owens on Friday, the Atlanta Braves acquired outfielder J.P. Martinez from the Texas Rangers.
Martinez, 27, played in 17 games with the Rangers last season, batting.225 (9-for-40) with one home run and four RBIs. Over the course of 82 games spread over three different minor league baseball levels, he hit.297 with 14 home runs, 60 RBIs, and 41 stolen bases.
The 23-year-old Owens pitched in 29 games (15 starts) last season, split between Double-A Mississippi and High-A Rome, finishing with a 0-6 record, four saves, and a 3.03 ERA. In 77 career minor-league appearances (32 starts), he is 5-15 with nine saves and a 4.37 ERA.
References: Rangers and David Robertson agree on a one-year contract.
According to sources who spoke with ESPN’s Jeff Passan on Thursday, the Texas Rangers and free agency relief pitcher David Robertson—who has 175 career saves—achieved a one-year deal in the $11 million–$12 million area.
According to insiders, the transaction is pending a physical.
Robertson, who turns 39 in April, was moved to Miami for two minor leaguers prior to the deadline after recording 18 saves in his final season between the Mets and Marlins.
At the beginning of the 2023 season, he assumed the closer role for the Mets following Edwin Diaz’s injury at the World Baseball Classic. The veteran right-hander struggled to a 5.06 ERA in his 22 outings with the Marlins after being demoted from the job following the trade to Miami, where he had thrived in 40 games for New York.
Josh Sborz and Jose Leclerc are back for the Rangers, but they needed more depth going into the offseason after finishing 24th in the majors in bullpen ERA, the lowest of any postseason club.
The Rangers lost the AL West title to rival Houston despite leading for the majority of the season due to Texas’ weak bullpen in the latter stages of the regular season. Following the World Series victory, the Rangers lost out on signing free agents Will Smith (of the Royals) and Aroldis Chapman (of the Pirates).
Robertson, who was named an All-Star in 2011, has collected 162 holds in his 15 seasons as a pitcher. He is 63-42 with a 2.90 ERA, 1,055 strikeouts, and just 330 walks. He pitched for the White Sox, Phillies, Rays, Cubs, and New York Yankees over his first seven MLB seasons, where he won a World Series in 2009.
Leave a Reply