Alex Anthopoulos admits defeat on one of his offseason trades

Alex Anthopoulos put together an absolute masterclass of an offseason. The best move saw him not only sign Reynaldo Lopez, but make Lopez a starting pitcher. He is now an All-Star. Not only did Anthopoulos sign Lopez, but he was extremely active on the trade market.

Anthopoulos acquired Chris Sale who, of course, is an All-Star as well. He also traded for Aaron Bummer, who has been an important piece in their bullpen.

One of the more under-the-radar deals made by Anthopoulos saw the Atlanta Braves acquire J.P. Martinez in a deal with the Texas Rangers. The deal gave Atlanta some much-needed outfield depth. Unfortunately, the move looks like a rare Anthopoulos loss, as Martinez has already reportedly been DFA'd according to Francys Romero.

Alex Anthopoulos took a rare loss in offseason trade for J.P. Martinez

Despite injuries to both Ronald Acuña Jr. and Michael Harris II, the Braves never really relied on Martinez to play. The 28-year-old had one short stint with the Braves, appearing in seven games and recording two hits in ten at-bats. He hit just three home runs in 60 games played for Triple-A Gwinnett, posting an underwhelming .695 OPS.

What makes this deal worse for Atlanta is the fact that the Rangers acquired Tyler Owens, a 23-year-old who has a 2.93 ERA in 21 appearances in relief for Double-A Frisco.

Is this a big deal? No, not really. Owens isn't going to contribute in the majors this season, and isn't a highly-touted prospect by any means. However, trading him for ten at-bats of Martinez is certainly not what Anthopoulos envisioned.

As for what'll happen with Martinez, he'll either presumably be claimed off of waivers or remain in Atlanta's minor league system. Regardless of the outcome, it's clear that the Braves do not see him as part of their short-term or long-term solution in any capacity if they're comfortable taking him off of their 40-man roster.