When the Braves finalized a one-year contract with utility man Emilio Bonifacio on Friday, they created a spot on the 40-man roster by designating for assignment the contract of reliever Brandon Cunniff.
Cunniff, 27, had a 4.63 ERA in 39 appearances as a rookie, with 37 strikeouts and 22 walks in 35 innings. After making the opening-day roster with a surprisingly strong showing in spring training, the right-hander posted a 1.80 ERA and .044 opponents’ average in five innings over his first 17 major league appearances, allowing just two hits through May 23.
But the former independent-league pitcher gave up five runs and four hits while recording just one out in his next appearance May 28, beginning a stretch in which Cunniff recorded a 6.75 ERA and .305 opponents’ average over his final 22 outings. He gave up 25 hits including three homers in 20 innings during that stretch.
Bonifacio, 30, agreed to a one-year, $1.25 million contract on Dec. 9, a deal that became official after he passed a physical. He made $4 million in a career-worst 2015 season, batting .167 (13-for-78) with two doubles and a .198 on-base percentage in 47 games for the White Sox before being released in August.
After that he caught on with the Cubs, signing a minor league deal and batting.469 in 49 at-bats without getting a major league call-up.
The veteran switch-hitter has a .259 career average and .316 OBP in 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 he played 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 with the White Sox. Bonifacio was used sparingly and never got going with the White Sox. He spent time on the disabled list with a strained oblique, and misseda few July games on the bereavement list after a death in his family.
Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez had Bonifacio on Marlins teams in 2009 and 2010, and Bonifacio’s best season came with the Marlins in 2011 when he set personal-bests in average (.296), OBP (.360), extra-base hits (38) and stolen bases (40). He’s played with five organizations since then and hasn’t come close to that level of production.
