Amid the rumorsswirling around the likes of Evan Gattisandnew free agent Ervin Santana, the Atlanta Braves handed out their first Major League contract of the off-season. On Monday, the team signed former New York Yankees outfielder Zoilo Almonte to a one-year deal that will immediately place him into the mix for a spot on the active, 25-man roster for the 2015 season.
The#Braveshave agreed to terms with OF Zoilo Almonte on a one-year contract for the 2015 season.
— Atlanta Braves (@Braves)November 10, 2014
The 25-year-old Almonte has only 149 plate appearances in the Major Leagues, and they have come with the Yankees between the 2013 and 2014 seasons. Those at-bats have come with limited success, as his career .211/.242/.282 slash line would suggest, but the general consensus is that he is an above-average defender at the corner outfield spots that could also play center field on an adequate level.
It would be unwise to read deeply into this move as a “sign of things to come”, but Almonte seemingly provides some organizational depth, especially in the event that Todd Cunningham isn’t in Atlanta’s future plans. Zoilo Almonte certainly will not be the biggest name that the Atlanta Braves acquire before March, but he is the first Major League contract.
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