Rangers trade an outfielder to the Braves.
The Falcons and their hunt for a new head coach, which ended with Raheem Morris’s hire Friday night, have dominated conversation in Atlanta. The whole thing was a circus, a demonstration of the Falcons’ dysfunction. We can truly appreciate the Atlanta Braves during these times.
After holding off for a while, the Braves acquired outfielder J.P. Martinez from the Rangers on Friday in exchange for Tyler Owens.
Martinez has the ability to compete for one of the final bench positions and provide organizational depth. With Jarred Kelenic, he is not a platoon option because Martinez is a left-handed hitter as well.
The 27-year-old Cuban outfielder made his major league debut last season, playing in 17 games and finishing with an OPS of.575 in the process. Martinez did not exactly have spectacular stats, but he was very successful in AAA, hitting.298 over 77 games with 14 home runs and a.961 OPS.
He’s a player worth taking a chance on, considering how the Braves have been able to get the best out of players traveling to Atlanta. These are the kinds of purchases that, although they go unnoticed at this time of year, turn out to be very profitable later in the season.
Tyler Owens, a 23-year-old right-handed pitcher, is back for the Rangers. Originally selected by the Braves in the 13th round of the 2019 MLB Draft, Owens posted a 3.03 ERA between A+ and AA in 2023. Still, there is no shortage of pitching depth in the Braves, so it seemed unlikely that he would have much of an impact in Atlanta.
