The Braves signed infielder Matt Adams to a minor-league contract Monday, the team announced.
Adams, 31, exercised the opt-out clause in his minor-league deal with the Mets over the weekend, making him a free agent. This will be his second stint with the Braves, who were seeking a left-handed bat.
The slugger has played for the Cardinals, Braves and Nationals over his eight-year career. He spent much of the past two seasons in the nation’s capital, including 2019, when Adams hit .226/.276/.465 with 20 homers and 56 RBIs across 111 games.
The Braves have sought left-handed lineup help since Nick Markakis chose not to play this season. The team was on the verge of signing outfielder Yasiel Puig, but the former All-Star tested positive for COVID-19, which ended talks.
Now the Braves are taking another shot at Adams, who’s been far more productive against righties in his career. Adams has hit .273/.325/.491 in 758 games against right-handers. He’s mustered only a .208/.236/.371 line against lefties, which has led to him being a bench bat and platoon player throughout his career.
While Adams will be in the Braves’ 60-player pool, he’ll have to be added to the 40-man roster if the Braves choose to promote him to the major-league team. Adams could serve as insurance at first base behind Freddie Freeman, a designated-hitter candidate and a bench bat. The team also has veteran Yonder Alonso on the major-league roster to fit a similar role.
Adams had success during his first Atlanta tenure, during which he hit .271 with 19 homers and 58 RBIs in 2017. Many will remember Adams’ production leading Freeman, returning from a 44-game absence because of a broken wrist, to temporarily shift to third base so that Adams could play first and stay in the lineup.
The Braves finished 72-90 that season, their most recent losing campaign. Despite trade deadline inquiries, they held onto Adams through the 2017 season. He was non-tendered in December.
