The Braves designated an outfielder JP Martinez for a share, reports Franchys Romero. The club has yet to announce the DFA or the associated activity.
Acquired in an offseason trade that sent the righty to the minor leagues Tyler Owens for the Rangers, the 28-year-old Martinez is a former Cuban signing who has seen limited major league games with Texas and Atlanta. Martinez made his MLB debut last year with the Rangers, hitting .225/.250/.325 in a small sample of 44 plate appearances. This year, he has seen little MLB time, going 2-for-10 with the Braves.
Although he hasn't seen much MLB time and hasn't hit well in his small cups of coffee, Martinez has a good overall record in Triple-A — despite mediocre numbers there in 2024. He is hitting .244/.335/. 360 has so far been with the Braves' Gwinnett affiliate but was prominent with the Rangers' executive last year. In all, he played three parts of the Triple-A season and slashed .258/.369/.450 in 777 plate appearances. He showed both power and speed in the minors, belting 23 homers at Triple-A while going 72-for-82 in stolen base attempts. He has played all three outfield positions in his professional career but has spent most of his time on the field.
Martinez has struggled with contact issues during his minor league tenure, often using strikeout rates in the upper 20s and under 30s. He looked to back that up last year with a manageable 22.9% strikeout rate in Triple-A, but that number has increased to 27.6% in 2024.
The Braves will have five days to trade Martinez or place him on waivers entirely. Waiver can be a 48-hour process.
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