ATLANTA -- It is now accurate to say Emilio Bonifácio has agreed to return to the Braves for the third time within the past 366 days. The veteran utility man can only hope this reunion does not prove to be as odd as the one he experienced this past season.
A source with knowledge of the negotiations revealed that Bonifacio agreed to a one-year, Minor League deal with the Braves on Friday. This agreement, which has not been confirmed by the club, was made on the anniversary of Atlanta providing him a one-year, $1.25 million Major League contract that led to disappointment when he was designated for assignment on the final day of Spring Training.
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Bonifacio rejoined the Braves on a Minor League contract in early April and then traveled to Wrigley Field three weeks later with the understanding he was about to fill a spot on Atlanta's active roster. But he experienced further disappointment a few hours before the start of an afternoon game against the Cubs on April 29, when he was told the Braves had overlooked a rule that prohibited him from being called up within 30 days after signing a Minor League deal with a club that had released him from a Major League deal.
Bonifacio returned to Triple-A Gwinnett and hit .298 with a .725 OPS over 107 games. The 31-year-old ended up hitting .211 and compiling a .268 on-base percentage while totaling 43 plate appearances over three brief stints with Atlanta last season.
Bonifacio, who also spent the final two months of the 2014 season with the Braves, provides some defensive versatility and speed that could prove desirable to the Braves, who may enter Spring Training with a chance for one position player to gain a roster spot.
In other roster-related news, the Braves acquired left-handed pitcher Tyler Pike as the player to be named in the Nov. 28 trade that netted them outfield prospect Ryan Jackson from the Mariners in exchange for right-handed pitchers Rob Whalen and Max Povse. Pike posted a 4.01 ERA and 9.6 strikeouts per nine innings while pitching for Class A Advanced Bakersfield last season.