NASHVILLE – The Braves agreed to terms on a one-year contract with veteran utility player Emilio Bonifacio, in hopes that he can bounce back from a career-worst 2014 season.
Provided he passes a physical, Bonifacio, 30, will have a $1.25 million salary in 2016, after making $4 million last season when he hit just .167 (13-for-78) with two doubles and a .198 on-base percentage in 47 games for the White Sox and was released in August.
He finished the season in the Cubs organization after signing a minor league deal, and hit .469 in 49 at-bats but didn’t get a call up to the majors.
The switch-hitter has a .259 career average and .316 OBP in just over 2,800 plate appearances over nine seasons, with more stolen bases (165) than extra-base hits (139, including 13 homers).
Bonifacio has experience at every position except catcher and first base, and spent time at both middle infield positions and all three outfield positions when he was with the Braves for 41 games in the second half of the 2014 season.
After hitting .259 with three homers, 26 stolen bases and a .650 OPS in 110 games (426 PAs) with the Cubs and Braves in 2014, he signed a one-year deal with the White Sox that included a second-year option. But Bonifacio never got into a groove last season, spent time on the disabled list in the summer with a strained oblique, and also missed a few games in July while on the bereavement list following a death in his family.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez also had Bonifacio on Marlins teams in 2009 and 2010. Bonifacio had his best season with the 2011 Marlins, setting career-highs in average (.296), OBP (.360), extra-base hits (38) and stolen bases (40). He hasn’t come close to that level of production in four seasons since then while playing for five different organizations.
