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If you can't beat 'em ... Bonilla signs minor league deal with Braves
Posted: Friday January 28, 2000 06:37 PM
ATLANTA (AP) -- Outfielder Bobby Bonilla, released by the New York Mets earlier this month, agreed Friday to a minor league contract with the Atlanta Braves, who also gave Andruw Jones a 10-fold raise to $3.7 million. Bonilla, 36, struggled with tendinitis in his knee last season, hitting .160 with four home runs and 18 RBI in just 119 at-bats. Bonilla had argued with management in New York and was viewed as a troublemaker by the front office. "Bobby [Cox] and I feel that Bonilla adds great depth and strength to our bench and provides us with another very productive offensive player," Braves general manager John Schuerholz said. A six-time All-Star and once the highest-paid player in baseball, Bonilla has also played first base and third base. The Braves have uncertainty at first base with Andres Galarraga trying to come back from cancer and Ryan Klesko traded to San Diego. Bonilla was invited to the Braves spring training camp as a non-roster player. If he makes the team, the Braves can pay him the $200,000 minimum salary. Bonilla had two seasons left on his Mets contract at $5.9 million. He and the Mets agreed to defer the payments for 12-36 years at an 8 percent annual interest rate, paying him a total of $29,831,205 from 2011 to 2035. If the Braves sign him to a major league contract, that would reduce the total by about 3.39 percent or $1,011,227. Bonilla started his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, getting eliminated by the Braves in the National League Championship Series in 1990 and 1991. In 1997, he played for Florida as they defeated the Braves in the NLCS and played sparingly for the Mets last year in their NLCS loss to Atlanta. Jones, who made $330,000 last season, had asked for $3.8 million in arbitration and had been offered $3.5 million.
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