Rangers Trade For Starting Pitcher From Braves

The Texas Rangers have taken the first of what is expected to be several steps to rebuild their starting rotation, completing a trade with the Atlanta Braves for starter Jake Odorizzi.

The Rangers have acquired Jake Odorizzi from the Braves, per @jonmorosi pic.twitter.com/u9e3bg4W36
— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) November 9, 2022

The Braves acquired Kolby Allard from the Rangers for Jake Odorizzi and cash.

Coincidentally, the media session here has started and Alex Anthopoulos has not arrived. The man never stops working.
— Justin Toscano (@JustinCToscano) November 9, 2022

In return, the Braves receive 25-year-old left-hander Kolby Allard, who has yet to distinguish himself at the major league level. And that's putting it lightly. He had a 7.29 ERA in 21 innings for the Rangers this season, and a 6.07 career ERA in parts of five big league seasons (that began, in fact, with Atlanta in 2018).

Odorizzi, 32, came over to the Braves mid-season in a trade with the Houston Astros. The 11-year veteran performed relatively well in the first half for Houston, with a 3.75 ERA and a 1.15 WHIP. But he crash-and-burned with the Braves, with a 5.24 ERA and a 1.55 WHIP.

Odorizzi has had flashes of being a solid starter over the course of his career, and actually was an All-Star in 2019 with the Minnesota Twins, going 15-7 with a 3.51 ERA.

Story coming but my quick reaction is: I like this trade a lot. Allard had fallen behind a lot of other young Rangers starters in the depth chart, and if Odorizzi can even be a functional fifth starter/veteran presence, that’s a great first move for Texas this off-season.
— Levi Weaver (@ThreeTwoEephus) November 9, 2022

As Braves beat writer Mark Bowman notes, this could be simply a money thing for Atlanta.