Braves sign outfielder Jonny Gomes to one-year deal
Veteran outfielder Jonny Gomes has a new home according to our own Tim Brown:
Jerry Crasnick of ESPN.com adds that the Braves will pay Gomes $4 million in 2015.
Atlanta is undergoing a bit of makeover with John Hart taking over as general manager for Frank Wren, who was fired after the Braves finished below .500 for the first time since 2008. Gone are Jason Heyward, Justin Upton, Evan Gattis, and Tommy La Stella. The trades have netted the Braves mostly prospects but Hart did get well-regarded right-hander Shelby Miller in exchange for Heyward and also signed outfielder Nick Markakis to a four-year pact.
Gomes, 34, split last season between Boston and Oakland and he wasn’t particularly productive, he hit just .234 with six home runs in 112 games, but he’s still useful against left-handed pitching. He has a career slash line of .277/.376/.485 when facing southpaws and will likely form a platoon in left field with Zoilo Almonte.
FanGraphs projects Atlanta to have the second-worst record in the big leagues next season, besting only Philadelphia. Adding Gomes certainly won’t do much to change that, his reputation as a strong leader and beloved teammate notwithstanding. At the very least we’re quite sure he’ll be welcomed in the clubhouse with open arms by first baseman Freddie Freeman.
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Israel Fehr is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter. Follow @israelfehr
