Braves acquire J.P. Martinez from Rangers but still have no agreement with AL Championship.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ATLANTA — The Atlanta Braves added outfield depth on Friday by acquiring J.P. Martínez from the Texas Rangers for right-hander Tyler Owens.
The 27-year-old Martínez made his major league debut for the World Series champion Rangers last season. In 17 games and 44 plate appearances, the left-handed batter hit .225 with one homer and four RBIs.
The Cuban native spent most of 2023 in the minors, batting .297 with 14 homers, 60 RBIs and 41 stolen bases across three leagues. He gives the Braves another much-needed position player on their 40-man roster and is expected to compete for a bench job in spring training.
The 23-year-old Owens has spent four seasons in Atlanta’s minor league system, reaching Double-A Mississippi last season. He has a record of 5-15 with a 4.37 over 77 professional appearances.
ARLINGTON, Texas — The World Series champion Texas Rangers finalized deals Friday with veteran reliever David Robertson and outfielder Travis Jankowski, but still have no agreement with AL Championship Series MVP Adolis García in advance of salary arbitration hearings.
Robertson will get $10 million in 2024 and has a mutual option for $7 million in 2025 that includes a $1.5 million buyout. The speedy and versatile Jankowski, who led the Rangers last season with 19 stolen bases, got a one-year deal for $1.7 million.
García was the only of eight Rangers eligible for salary arbitration who didn’t reach a deal with the team two weeks ago. The two-time All-Star slugger, who set an MLB postseason record with 22 RBIs last fall, requested $6.9 million and Texas offered $5 million. That was the widest gap among the 23 players around the league who exchanged salary proposals with their teams.
“Everybody knows the situation we’re in. Right now, we’re waiting on the hearing that’s coming, and everything’s been the same as of right now,” García said through a translator before the team’s annual awards dinner Friday night.
General manager Chris Young said there has been good dialogue with García and his representatives, and described being “very encouraged by the back and forth.”
Robertson’s deal was finalized after he completed a physical. He has pitched for five teams since coming back from Tommy John surgery that caused him to miss the pandemic-shortened 2020 season and much of 2021. He made 120 appearances over the past two seasons.
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