The Atlanta Braves and Texas Rangers have completed the only trade of the day on the day before the trade deadline. The Braves acquired relief pitcher Chris Martin from the Rangers in exchange for #12 prospect, Kolby Allard, a starting pitcher with plenty of excitement.
Source: #Braves acquire Chris Martin from #Rangers for Kolby Allard.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2019
Martin will allow the Braves to better their bullpen as they look to extend their division lead and fend off the Washington Nationals in the divisional race. Martin has appeared in thirty-eight games this year for the Rangers who are in a tough American League West division with the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics. In those thirty-eight appearances this season, Martin has thrown in 38.0 innings striking out 43 with an ERA of 3.08 and WHIP of 1.03 for the Rangers.
The Rangers acquired Allard who is a Triple-A player at the moment, the #12 prospect in the Braves organization. Allard was a former first-round draft pick in the 2015 MLB draft who has worked his way up to Triple-A. He had featured a 7-5 record, 4.17 ERA, and 98 punch-outs for the Braves Triple-A affiliate this season. Allard is twenty-one years old, still developing, and offers the Rangers excitement as a starter who could see the big leagues in the near future.
With the eve of the trade deadline upon the league, it has been one of the quietest deadlines to date. The only blockbuster trade that occurred was the deal sending Marcus Stroman to the New York Mets. Other than that, the trades have been minuscule like Eric Sogard traded to the Tampa Bay Rays or Jake Diekman traded to the Oakland Athletics.
