Atlanta Braves Sign Zoilo Almonte to Major League Contract

Amid the rumors swirling around the likes of Evan Gattis and new 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 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.