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Braves finalize one-year deal with Gomes

ATLANTA -- The Braves officially announced the completion of their one-year deal with outfielder Jonny Gomes on Friday afternoon.

Gomes agreed to the terms of a one-year, $4 million contract (which also includes a $3 million vesting option for 2016) on Jan. 22. The Braves confirmed the completion of this deal after reviewing Gomes' physical and creating a 40-man roster spot by trading right-hander David Hale to the Rockies.

Gomes will likely platoon in left field and be utilized as a pinch-hitter against left-handed pitchers. Zoilo Almonte, the former Yankees prospect who was signed as a Minor League free agent in November, has been mentioned as a possible platoon partner with Gomes in left field.

Gomes has batted .241 with 19 homers and a .717 OPS while totaling 687 plate appearances over the past two years with the Red Sox and A's. But if utilized in the right situations, the Braves believe the 33-year-old outfielder can still add some value to their outfield mix.

Gomes has hit .257 with 12 home runs and a .768 OPS in 394 plate appearances against left-handed pitchers over the past two seasons. Almonte batted .272 with 18 homers and a .781 OPS in the 368 plate appearances he compiled against right-handed pitchers at the Major League and Triple-A levels last year.

Gomes' splits proved to be drastically different in 2014. He hit .165 with two homers and a .510 OPS in 117 plate appearances against right-handers. But he proved more successful in 204 plate appearances against lefties, compiling a .276 batting average, four homers and a .743 OPS.

Mark Bowman is a reporter for MLB.com.
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