The Rangers announced the trade of infielder Jonathan Ornelas to the Braves for cash considerations. Texas had designated him for assignment earlier this week when they claimed Michael Helman off waivers from Pittsburgh. Atlanta already had an opening on the 40-man roster after yesterday’s DFA of Orlando Arcia. They optioned Ornelas to Triple-A Gwinnett, so no further move is necessary.
Ornelas changes organizations for the first time. Texas drafted him out of high school in the third round in 2018. He has never been a great minor league hitter, but he’s a versatile defender with enough athleticism and arm strength to play on the left side of the infield. Texas added him to the 40-man roster to keep him out of the Rule 5 draft after the 2022 season. That followed a career-best .299/.360/.425 showing as a 22-year-old in Double-A.
The right-handed hitter hasn’t matched that production since moving up to Triple-A. He’s a career .247/.348/.333 hitter in more than 1000 plate appearances over three seasons at the top minor league level. That includes a .204/.339/.235 start through 30 games this year. He has appeared in 30 MLB contests over a handful of stints going back to 2023. Ornelas has hit .184 without a home run while striking out 20 times in 54 big league plate appearances.
Atlanta has limited roster flexibility on the position player side. The only hitters on the active roster who have minor league options are Michael Harris II and rookie catcher Drake Baldwin, neither of whom is in danger of getting sent down. Luke Williams projects as the backup infielder now that they’ve moved on from Arcia.
Justin Toscano of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution relayed yesterday that Eli White will take pregame infield reps to offer more flexibility off the bench. Ornelas, who is in his final option year, can spend the remainder of the season in Gwinnett as an alternative to the out-of-options Williams and White if the Braves decide to make any changes.
Soooo… The Rangers are The Ones Who Walk Away from Ornelas.
.235 slug. Yikes.
I mean, if his glove is as good as they make out, he may have a little value. If he can get on base like he did in the minors and for avg in the 20 point dip you expect from his career #’s he has plenty of value to a major league organization
The problem is he has shown he can be remotely consistent
This is a classic last man off the bench, defensive substitute/pinch runner
He’s not a Mets cast off. Things are on the upswing in ATL.
I still would rather have Arcia over Williams.. First game back and Acuna accounts for the only run scored. Can this team go on a tear and win the division? I hope so but I think they have already dug too deep a hole.
I think the problem with Arcia’s value off the bench now that he can’t hit AT ALL, is that he has no wheels whatsoever. Sean Murphy’s a faster runner. If somebody isn’t gonna play you want them to be either an elite defender or a speedster with lots of versatility. He is neither.
They had to trade either Jonathan, Ornelas. Not an easy decision.
A lot of movement lately, call ups, veteran DFA, minor trades. Is this the breaking point for small sample poor starts? Or maybe injuries pile up by now?
Arcia is a nice addition for the White Sox. He immediately becomes our starting SS, and has a 2M option in ’26.