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Abraham Almonte

Abraham Almonte Elects Free Agency

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The Red Sox announced that outfielder Abraham Almonte (who was designated for assignment earlier this week) cleared waivers and was outrighted off the 40-man roster.  Because Almonte has previously been outrighted in his career, he had the right to reject this assignment and become a free agent, and Almonte has indeed opted to hit the open market.

Almonte signed a minor league deal with the Brewers last winter, but didn’t get any time in the big leagues until the Red Sox acquired him in a late-July trade.  Almonte ended up playing 15 games with Boston in September and October, hitting .257/.297/.400 over his small sample of 37 plate appearances.

It marked the 10th consecutive season of MLB action for Almonte, who has spent his 455 career games with seven different teams, and also spent time (without any Major League action) in the Brewers and Yankees farm systems.  Rarely more than a bench option at any of his stops, Almonte has carved out a niche as a solid defensive outfielder capable of playing any of the three positions.  He provided some helpful depth for the Braves in 2021, filling in in the outfield in the wake of Ronald Acuna Jr.’s ACL tear and eventually earning the first World Series ring of his career.

Designating and outrighting Almonte essentially serves as an early non-tender for the Red Sox, as Almonte was eligible for arbitration and projected to earn $900K.  The 33-year-old will now get an early jump in free agency and look to catch on with yet another club on another minors contract.

Red Sox Claim Caleb Hamilton, Designate Abraham Almonte

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The Red Sox have claimed catcher Caleb Hamilton off waivers from the Twins, according to the transactions tracker at MLB.com. Outfielder Abraham Almonte was designated for assignment in a corresponding 40-man move. Chris Cotillo of MassLive confirmed the transactions (on Twitter).

Hamilton changes organizations for the first time in his career. The Oregon State product entered the professional ranks as a late-round Twins draftee back in 2016. He’s spent seven years climbing the minor league ladder and was rewarded with his first big league call when Ryan Jeffers landed on the injured list in mid-July. He appeared in 22 MLB games but only started four times and tallied 23 plate appearances. He struck out in 14 of them, an obviously untenable rate. He did, however, collect his first big league hit — a solo homer off José Quijada.

The 27-year-old spent the majority of the season at Triple-A St. Paul, where he had a solid showing. Over 251 plate appearances, he hit .233/.367/.442 with 11 home runs. He went down on strikes 26.7% of the time and didn’t post a particularly impressive batting average, but he showed the best power of his professional career and worked walks at a stellar 17.1% clip. That patient plate approach is clearly of some interest to the Red Sox, who add Hamilton to Reese McGuire, Connor Wong and Ronaldo Hernandez as backstops on the 40-man roster.

Hamilton only exhausted his first of three minor league options this year. If he holds his spot on the 40-man roster, the Sox can shuttle him between Boston and Triple-A Worcester for the foreseeable future. He’s still three years away from arbitration eligibility, so he’d be an affordable depth option for the Red Sox if they devote him a 40-man position.

Almonte is a journeyman who has gotten to the majors in each of the past nine years. He cracked Boston’s roster after the team had fallen out of contention in September, appearing in 15 games down the stretch. The switch-hitter picked up nine hits, including a homer, in 37 plate appearances. Still, it never seemed likely the Red Sox would tender him an arbitration contract this offseason. His projected $900K salary wasn’t onerous, but he always looked like a temporary stopgap for the season’s final few weeks.

The Red Sox will place Almonte on waivers in the next few days. He’s virtually certain to clear and elect free agency, as is his right as a player with more than five years of MLB service. The 33-year-old is coming off a .293/.417/.534 showing in Triple-A, so he shouldn’t have an issue finding another minor league opportunity with a Spring Training invitation this winter.

Red Sox Select Abraham Almonte

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5:30pm: The Sox have now made it official, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. Almonte has been selected with Cordero going on the 60-day IL. He won’t be eligible to return this season.

3:50pm: The Red Sox are going to select outfielder Abraham Almonte to their roster for tonight’s game, according to Pete Abraham of the Boston Globe. Almonte isn’t yet on the 40-man roster, meaning corresponding moves will be required. It’s possible that outfielder Franchy Cordero will head to the 10-day or maybe even the 60-day injured list. Abraham reported yesterday that Cordero has a sprain on both sides of his ankle and could be done for the season.

Once Almonte gets into a game, it will be the 10th straight season of MLB action for the 33-year-old. He’s spent time with Seattle, San Diego, Cleveland, Kansas City, Arizona and Atlanta. In 440 career games, he’s hit .223/.302/.374 for a wRC+ of 83. This year, he signed a minor league deal with the Brewers and went to the Red Sox in a July trade. He’s been having a great year down on the farm, hitting .293/.417/.534 across 80 Triple-A games. That amounts to a 154 wRC+.

Despite his years of experience, he’s only accrued four years and 155 days of MLB service time. Should he carry any of that tremendous minor league production up to the big leagues with him, the Red Sox could keep him around for another season via arbitration. He’ll step into an outfield mix that includes Alex Verdugo, Tommy Pham, Enrique Hernández and Rob Refsnyder.

That mix won’t include Cordero for now, as he injured himself crashing into the wall at Tropicana Field on Monday, having to be carted off the field. The 28-year-old has gotten into 84 games on the season, hitting .219/.300/.397 for a wRC+ of 93. Like Almonte, he can be retained for 2023 via arbitration, should the Sox decide to tender him a contract.

Red Sox Acquire Abraham Almonte From Brewers

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The Red Sox acquired outfielder Abraham Almonte from the Brewers in exchange for cash this afternoon, according to an announcement from Milwaukee. The switch-hitting outfielder had been on a minor league deal with the Brew Crew. He won’t occupy a spot on the Sox’s 40-man roster at this time, and his transactions tracker at MLB.com indicates he’s been assigned to their Triple-A affiliate in Worcester.

Almonte is trying to earn a big league opportunity for what would be his tenth consecutive year. He broke into the majors in 2013 with the Mariners, and he’s bounced around the league as a depth outfielder for the past decade. Almonte has never played in more than 82 games in any major league season, but he’s suited up with each of the Mariners, Padres, Indians, Royals, Diamondbacks and Braves at the highest level.

In just over 1300 career plate appearances, Almonte owns a .234/.302/.374 line. He hit .216/.331/.399 across 175 plate appearances with Atlanta last year before the Braves outrighted him off their roster in August. The 33-year-old has had an excellent season with Milwaukee’s top affiliate, mashing at a .293/.380/.533 clip with 11 home runs and a robust 11.7% walk percentage through 48 games in Nashville.

Almonte has some center field experience early in his career, but he’s worked exclusively in the corner outfield and at designated hitter this year. Boston hasn’t gotten much production at either corner outfield spot. Alex Verdugo has underwhelmed in left, while Boston’s right fielders (primarily Jackie Bradley Jr., Rob Refsnyder and Christian Arroyo) have combined for a league-worst .196/.259/.319 showing. Almonte will add some experienced non-roster depth to the upper levels of the farm system.

Brewers Sign Abraham Almonte To Minor League Deal

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Catching up on a minor league signing that flew under our radar back in October, the Brewers signed outfielder Abraham Almonte to a minors deal.  (Hat tip to Brewerfan.net’s Jim Goulart.)  Almonte will receive an invitation to the Brewers’ big league Spring Training camp.

Almonte opted for free agency rather than accept an outright assignment off the Braves’ roster in September.  It was the second time Almonte had been outrighted off the Braves’ 40-man roster last season, as he was previously sent to the alternate training site at the end of Spring Training before his contract was selected to the 26-man roster in May.

The 32-year-old Almonte ended up receiving quite a bit of playing time with Atlanta, and likely more than the Braves anticipated, except Marcell Ozuna’s administrative leave and then Ronald Acuna Jr’s season-ending ACL tear created some major vacancies in the team’s outfield.  However, the front office responded with a now-legendary flurry of transactions that brought Joc Pederson, Eddie Rosario, Jorge Soler, and Adam Duvall to the club in a series of trades, helping pave the way for Atlanta to eventually win the World Series.

These new faces resulted in fewer at-bats for Almonte, and ultimately turned him back into an expendable piece.  Almonte hit a respectable .216/.331/.399 (97 wRC+) over 175 plate appearances, hitting five home runs and mostly playing left field.  Much of the offensive damage came from the left side of the plate, as the switch-hitting Almonte batted .237/.359/.449 in 142 PA against right-handed pitching.  While Almonte’s performance was unspectacular, he did step up to fill a role during a time of need for the Braves, and he wound up with a World Series ring for his efforts.

Almonte has played for six different teams over parts of the last nine MLB seasons, hitting .234/.302/.374 in 1326 career PA.  He’ll now provide the Brewers with a depth option heading into Spring Training, and may likely again only be an option for Milwaukee’s active roster in the event of an injury or two.  Almonte joins David Dahl and Jonathan Davis as experienced outfield veterans in the Brewers’ camp on minor league deals.

Abraham Almonte Elects Free Agency

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Outfielder Abraham Almonte has elected free agency after clearing outright waivers, relays David O’Brien of the Athletic (Twitter link). The Braves designated him for assignment last week.

This season, Almonte has logged his most significant big league action since 2017. Selected to the major league roster in late May, the switch-hitter picked up 175 plate appearances with Atlanta. He got off to a strong start but his production tailed off beginning in late June. Overall, Almonte posted a league average .216/.331/.399 line while spending most of his time in left field.

Almonte has picked up at least some MLB time in each of the past nine seasons. The 32-year-old is free to pursue opportunities elsewhere for the season’s final few weeks, although he won’t be eligible for postseason play because he was let go after August 31.

Braves Designate Abraham Almonte For Assignment, Activate Eddie Rosario

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The Braves announced Friday that they’ve reinstated deadline acquisition Eddie Rosario from the 10-day injured list and opened a spot on the roster by designating fellow outfielder Abraham Almonte for assignment. Rosario has been out since July 7 due to an abdominal strain.

Almonte, 32, appeared in 63 games and tallied 174 plate appearances for Atlanta, batting .218/.333/.401 along the way. He’s cooled off quite a bit after a hot start, however, with just a .184/.270/.350 output over his past 115 plate appearances — including a current 0-for-12 skid at the plate.

The Braves were the sixth big league club for the journeyman Almonte, who has also appeared at the MLB level with the Padres, Indians, Mariners, Diamondbacks and Royals. In 1325 career plate appearances, he’s a .235/.302/.374 hitter. Atlanta will place Almonte on outright waivers or release waivers in the coming days, at which point he’ll be available for any other club to claim. If he goes unclaimed, Almonte has more than enough service to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency.

Rosario, 29, enjoyed a solid run as the Twins’ everyday left fielder from 2017-20, hitting at a combined .281/.317/.493 clip while averaging 32 home runs and 33 doubles per 162 games. The free swinger’s OBP trended downward in his final couple seasons in Minnesota, however, and the Twins passed him through waivers last November before non-tendering him rather than paying a raise on his $7.75MM salary. That made Rosario, who would’ve been arbitration-eligible one final time, a free agent a year sooner than expected.

The Indians signed their former division rival to a one-year, $8MM contract late in the offseason, hoping he’d add some pop to a lineup with a rather muddled outfield outlook. Instead, however, Rosario turned in a career-worst showing at the plate, batting .254/.296/.389 in 306 trips to the plate. The Braves effectively acquired Rosario for cash, sending only Pablo Sandoval to the Indians in the swap. Sandoval was immediately released by Cleveland.

Part of the Braves’ deadline approach in the wake of so much turnover in the outfield this season was to acquire a bundle of once-productive outfield options in the midst of middling seasons in hope that a change of scenery would bring about a rebound. It worked out brilliantly with Jorge Soler, who’s been on a tear since joining the Braves. Joc Pederson and Adam Duvall have continued at slightly below-average paces, though each has delivered some timely hits since arriving in Atlanta. Rosario now joins that group as the Braves look to stave off the reeling Mets and Phillies and secure another division title.

Braves Select Abraham Almonte’s Contract

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The Braves have selected the contract of outfielder Abraham Almonte from Triple-A Gwinnett.  In corresponding moves, right-hander Jay Flaa was optioned to Triple-A, and a 40-man roster spot was opened when Huascar Ynoa was moved to the 60-day injured list.

A veteran of eight MLB seasons, Almonte now looks to add a ninth campaign to his record after signing with the Braves last October.  While Almonte technically signed a Major League contract, it wasn’t a guaranteed deal, and Atlanta already outrighted him off its 40-man roster near the end of Spring Training and Almonte chose to remain in the organization.

Almonte has played for five different teams over his career, hitting .237/.298/.370 over 1151 plate appearances.  A part-timer and platoon outfielder for much of his tenure, Almonte hasn’t seen much action over the last two seasons, appearing in 24 total games with the Diamondbacks and Padres since the start of the 2019 season.  However, Almonte’s ability to play all three outfield positions will add some depth to an Atlanta bench that is short on true outfielders.

Braves Announce Series Of Roster Moves

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The Braves announced this morning they’ve selected the contracts of right-hander Nate Jones and infielder Ehire Adrianza. Outfielder Abraham Almonte has cleared outright waivers and been assigned to the alternate training site, while right-hander Touki Toussaint was placed on the 60-day injured list with a strain in his throwing shoulder. Fellow right-hander Bryse Wilson was optioned to the alternate site, meaning he won’t be on the Opening Day roster.

Jones and Adrianza signed minor-league deals over the offseason and won roster spots with impressive performances in Spring Training. Once an elite reliever with the White Sox, Jones’ career was sidetracked a bit by injuries, as he managed just 52 innings between 2017-19. He pitched to a 6.27 ERA over 18.2 innings with the Reds last year, allowing five home runs in that limited time. Jones struck out 23 against just six walks for Cincinnati, though, and he’ll now enter his tenth different season at the big league level.

Adrianza spent the past four years as a utility option with the Twins. He had a brutal .191/.287/.270 line over 101 plate appearances last year but hit a solid .272/.349/.416 over a larger sample in 2019. Also a former Giant, Adrianza has played everywhere along the infield (with extensive experience up the middle) and picked up a few innings in the corner outfield.

Almonte surprisingly signed a major-league deal with the Braves last October but he’ll lose that 40-man roster spot before the start of the season. While he has appeared in the big leagues in each of the past eight years, Almonte has gotten very little recent playing time. The switch-hitting outfielder only picked up 51 combined plate appearances between the 2019 Diamondbacks and 2020 Padres.

It’s a bit of a surprise to see Wilson optioned out. When the Braves optioned Kyle Wright earlier this week, that seemed to suggest Wilson would open the year as the #5 starter behind Max Fried, Charlie Morton, Drew Smyly and Ian Anderson. Wilson will likely be back before long, but it seems Atlanta’s content to lean on multi-inning arms like Josh Tomlin and/or Sean Newcomb in the fifth starter’s spot, at least early in the year.

Toussaint’s placement on the 60-day IL comes as a surprise. It hadn’t been clear the 24-year-old was dealing with an injury of any kind. The Braves didn’t announce a timetable for his return, but he’ll be shelved at least into June.

Braves Sign Abraham Almonte To Major League Deal

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The Braves announced they’ve signed outfielder Abraham Almonte to a non-guaranteed major league contract. Additionally, pitchers Mike Soroka, Jeremy Walker and Phil Pfeifer have been reinstated from the 60-day injured list, while utilityman Charlie Culberson cleared outright waivers and elected free agency.

Almonte will make $990K if he makes the team, reports Bob Nightengale of USA Today (Twitter link). The 31-year-old only has only amassed 51 MLB plate appearances over the past two seasons, but he’s evidently done enough to catch the attention of the Atlanta front office. The switch-hitter mashed in Triple-A (albeit in the hitter-friendly Pacific Coast League) in 2019 and is capable of playing all three outfield positions. He has a .237/.298/.370 line over parts of parts of eight big league seasons.

Culberson emerged as a fan favorite in Atlanta over the past few years, but he was limited to just seven plate appearances in 2020. The 31-year-old is likely looking at a minor-league pact this offseason.

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