Braves outfielder Abraham Almonte elects free agency

Atlanta Braves' Abraham Almonte celebrates with teammates after he scored on a single by Jorge Soler during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Credit: AP

Credit: AP

Atlanta Braves' Abraham Almonte celebrates with teammates after he scored on a single by Jorge Soler during the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Miami Marlins, Tuesday, Aug. 17, 2021, in Miami. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)

Veteran outfielder Abraham Almonte, whom the Braves designated for assignment last week, elected free agency over an assignment to Triple-A Gwinnett.

Almonte, 32, played regularly in the Braves’ decimated outfield, helping the team at a time when it lost Marcell Ozuna and Ronald Acuna. Almonte played in 63 games, hitting .218/.333/.401 with five homers and 19 RBIs. He started 37 games in the outfield.

Braves manager Brian Snitker routinely praised Almonte in June, when he caught fire and helped the Braves stay afloat. Almonte hit .310 with a homer and six RBIs in his first 16 games, which came after the team lost Ozuna.

Almonte is free to sign with another club. The Braves designated him for assignment when they added outfielder Eddie Rosario, who’d been rehabbing in Gwinnett. The team’s current outfield includes Adam Duvall, Joc Pederson, Guillermo Heredia, Jorge Soler and Rosario.