The Braves have reached an agreement to sign fleet-footed utility man Emilio Bonifacio, reports Jon Morosi of FOX Sports (via Twitter). Bonifacio gets a one-year big league deal, tweets SB Nation’s Chris Cotillo, who adds that Bonifacio will be guaranteed $1.25MM and can double that amount via incentives/bonuses.
Bonifacio struggled greatly with the White Sox in 2015, hitting just .167/.198/.192 in at plate appearances and missing time on the disabled list due to a left oblique strain. In August, he inked a minor league pact with the Cubs, bringing him back to the club with which he had the most recent success in his career. He did not see any big league time with the Cubs, but he did look sharp in his limited Triple-A time for the White Sox and Cubs affiliates.
I feel like I’ve seen this before…
What a splash. The Braves win Projection just went from 61 to 62, easy…
note so sure about that projection since bonafaccio had a negative war.
Like he didn’t stink last time, let’s add him again.
You got him with Russell for a double A catcher who ranked 8 th for you braves and not in the Cubs top 20 so stop crying
Why?
We’ll need someone to play 1B soon…
At least he can play a bunch of positions
He can play a bunch of positions, just none of them very well.
Probably try to flip him in August to a team that needs some depth.
What a colossal waste of $1.25M. The Braves just don’t get it.
See, that’s where you’re wrong. They do get it. The Braves get that they’re going nowhere next year, so why not spend that $1.25 million on someone who’ll provide mediocre defense, well below replacement level hitting ability, and speed off the bench. And that’s if the Braves (and Bonifacio) get lucky. The race for the 1st Overall Pick in next year’s draft is already underway, and the Braves’ offseason so far has put them squarely in first place.
Giving Bonifacio significant playing time does little to jeopardize that, and in fact might help them a little bit.
Also, if Bonifacio somehow manages something like a .280/.330/.370 slash, the Braves may even be able to flip him for a prospect at the deadline.
No Soup For Yu! gets it.
You are severely mistaken if you really believe they are the frontrunners to get the number 1 pick. Adding Inciarte and Aybar to last years lineup doesn’t really imply a decrease in wins.
Nice pick up. I like the offseason moves thus far. We’re not playoff bound, but definitely more competitive this year. Eyes on 2017.
You know what they say everybody deserves a another chance lol
I drafted this guy 1st round on my fantasy team last year.. Best move ever.
Lol leave to Braves fans to miss the point. Buy low sell high. He did this last year and everyone freaked out when he made minor signings like this. Even if he doesn’t pan out 1.25 million is not something to get bent out of shape over….
Stock up on veterans for cheap flip for prospects if not competing. Rinse and Repeat
There no crying in baseball ask Tom Hanks
For real… Theres tons of fans but not many who truly get these moves. I wish more people would at least try to understand what the Braves are doing, and they sure are doing a hell of a good job.
They said they needed a right handed bat with speed who can cover in the outfield. That’s exactly what they got. Stop moaning fellow Braves fans!
F****** Bonifacio, he sucks!
I swear our fans can complain about anything. This is a good signing. It isn’t the blockbuster that you all wanted (quite unrealistically wanted I might add) but Emilio is a solid pickup. He had a bad year against AL pitching last year and hasn’t had much positive production since his Cubs days, I will give you that. Still, while has an average bat at best and is a below average defender, he has plus speed. The man can flat out run on the base paths. That alone makes this signing worth it. The Braves do not have a lot of speed and Bonifacio brings that to the table. $1.25 million is a good price to buy a player who can play at almost any position, and if nothing else will serve as an excellent pinch runner.