Texas Rangers Trade J.P. Martinez to Braves for Minor League Prospect
The Texas Rangers announced Friday that the club has acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Tyler Owens from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for outfielder J.P. Martínez.
That move opens the door for the Rangers to add to reliever David Robertson, who recently agreed to a deal with Texas, to the 40-man roster.
Owens, 23, split the 2023 campaign between Mississippi (AA) and Rome (A+) of the Atlanta organization, totaling a 0-6 record, 3.03 ERA (22 ER/65.1 IP), 4 saves, and 67 strikeouts across 29 games (15 starts). He is tabbed among the best prospects in the Braves farm by Baseball America (22nd) and MLB Pipeline (25th).
The right-hander is 5-15 with a 4.37 ERA (82 ER/169.0 IP), 9 saves and 183 strikeouts across 77 career appearances (32 starts) spanning four minor league seasons. A native of Ocala, Fla., Owens was originally selected by Atlanta in the 13th round of the 2019 MLB Draft from Trinity Catholic H.S.
Martínez, who turns 28 on March 21, made his Major League debut over 17 games with Texas last season, batting .225 (9-40) with one home run and 4 RBI. He spent the balance of the campaign in the minor leagues with Round Rock (AAA), Hickory (A+), and Frisco (AA), combining to slash .297/.425/.538/.963 (90-303) with 14 home runs, 60 RBI, and 41 stolen bases across 82 appearances.
The Baracoa, Cuba native has spent the entirety of his professional career in the Rangers organization, batting .257 (434-1686) with 58 home runs, 220 RBI, and 145 steals over 460 games in the minors. He originally signed with Texas as a non-drafted on March 18, 2016.
With Friday’s transactions, the Rangers now have 39 players on the club’s 40-man roster.
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