The Braves agreed to terms with veteran infielder Gordon Beckham on a one-year, $1.25 million contract Wednesday, hoping the Atlanta native and former University of Georgia standout can bounce back from a career-worst season and give then a platoon option or at least depth at a couple of positions.
Beckham, 29, hit .209 with six homers, a .275 on-base percentage and a .332 slugging percentage in 237 plate appearances for the White Sox last season, the second year in a row the right-handed hitter posted career-worst statistics.
He continues to grade well defensively at second base and third base, working mostly at third base last season after playing 105 games at second base in 2014 for the White Sox and Angels.
The Westminster High School graduate never developed into the star he was projected to be after being selected by the White Sox in the first round (eighth overall pick) of the 2008 draft out of UGA. Beckham is a .242 career hitter with a .304 OBP, 69 home runs and a .676 OPS in seven seasons, including 14 homers with a career-best 63 RBIs as a 22-year-old rookie in 2009.
In 2012 he had career-bests in homers (16), games played (151) and plate appearances (582), but Beckham hasn’t had as many as 10 homers , 500 PAs or 130 games played in any season since then.
He can also play shortstop, though he has only six starts at that position in seven seasons, compared to 603 starts at second base and 140 at third base.
The Braves have Jace Peterson returning after an up-and-down offensive showing in his first full season in the majors, and their third-base position is unsettled after the decision this winter to move Cuban rookie Hector Olivera to left field.
Peterson, a left-handed batter, hit .309 with a .389 OBP in a 50-game stretch through June 21, then .204 with a .274 OBP over his final 87 games. He finished with a .239 average, 34 extra-base hits (six homers), 52 RBIs and a .649 OPS in 152 games, including a .190 average vs. lefties.
Braves officials say it’s possible that Olivera could still play at least some games at third base. Their only other players with significant major league experience at third base were Adonis Garcia, another 30-year-old rookie in 2015 who showed good power but shaky infield defense, and well-traveled utility man Pedro Ciriaco, a non-tender candidate leading up to Wednesday’s midnight deadline to offer to contracts to arbitration-eligible players.
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