Texas Rangers rumors: Chris Martin traded to Atlanta Braves

Texas Rangers rumors: Chris Martin may be on the move as the MLB trade deadline approaches. With the deadline being tomorrow, July 31, at 3 p.m. Central, there are folks in Twitter saying Martin has left the Rangers bullpen. Martin is both a quality relief pitcher and a free agent at season’s end, making him a strong candidate to be moved.

The 33 year old Martin has a 3.08 ERA and 4.02 FIP in 38 IP this year. He was signed to a two year deal by the Rangers after the 2017 season, having spent the previous two seasons pitching in Japan.

Effective relievers are always in demand at the deadline, and while I don’t expect Martin will return a ton, a package similar to what Jake Diekman fetched last year — Wei-Chieh Huang and Joshua Javier — would be a reasonable return.

We will update this as more news becomes available.

UPDATE — Multiple reports indicate the Rangers are getting Kolby Allard from te Atlanta Braves for Martin. That would be a healthy, healthy return.

Allard is a 21 year old lefthanded starting pitcher who was the #14 overall pick in the 2015 draft. Both BA and Fangraphs have Allard as the #12 prospect in a deep Braves system. He’s a finesse lefty who is on the 40 man roster, has two options remaining after this season, and has a 4.17 ERA in the International League this year, with 98 Ks and 36 walks in 110 IP. He’s not a high ceiling guy, but joins Joe Palumbo, Taylor Hearn, and Brock Burke as near major league ready lefty starting pitching prospects. I would not be surprised if he is immediately plugged into the Rangers’ rotation.

UPDATE — The trade is official — Martin for Allard. Allard has been optioned to AAA Nashville, which means there will be a move tomorrow to fill the empty 25 man roster spot.