Abraham Almonte (born June 27, 1989) is a Dominican

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

outfielder An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to cat ...

in the

New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...

organization. He has previously played in

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

(MLB) for the

Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West division. The team joined the American League ...

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...

Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team was founded as an expans ...

Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks (colloquially known as the D-backs) are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. The f ...

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penna ...

Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. The Braves ...

, and

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

. The

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Amer ...

initially signed Almonte as a free agent. Before the 2013 season, he was traded to the Mariners for

Shawn Kelley Shawn Andrew Kelley (born April 26, 1984) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners from 2009 to 2012, New York Yankees from 2013 to 2014, San Diego Padres in 2015, Was ...

. Almonte was first called up to the major leagues at the end of August 2013.

Early life

Almonte was born in

Santo Domingo , total_type = Total , population_density_km2 = auto , timezone = AST (UTC −4) , area_code_type = Area codes , area_code = 809, 829, 849 , postal_code_type = Postal codes , postal_code = 10100–10699 (Distrito Nacional) , websi ...

Dominican Republic The Dominican Republic ( ; es, República Dominicana, ) is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean region. It occupies the eastern five-eighths of the island, which it shares wit ...

. When he was 16, his professional career began with the

, as they signed him and brought him to the United States to play baseball.

Career

New York Yankees

After being signed in 2005, was assigned to play in the

Dominican Summer League The Dominican Summer League (DSL) is a branch of affiliated Minor League Baseball which is played in the Dominican Republic. The league was founded in 1985. After the demise of the Venezuelan Summer League after the 2015 season, it is the only L ...

(DSL) for the DSL Yankees. Almonte started his professional career as a second baseman, but was transitioned to outfield due to his speed and the organization's need for young outfielders. In 63 DSL games, he batted .254 with 26

runs batted in A run batted in (RBI; plural RBIs ) is a statistic in baseball and softball that credits a batter for making a play that allows a run to be scored (except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play). For example, if the bat ...

(RBIs), eight home runs, and a .409

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

(OBP), .450

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

(SLG), and a .859

on-base plus slugging On-base plus slugging (OPS) is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player both to get on base and to hit for power, two important offensive skills, are ...

(OPS). The following season in 2007, Almonte was promoted to the Yankees'

Gulf Coast League The Florida Complex League (FCL) is a rookie-level Minor League Baseball league that operates in Florida, United States. Before 2021, it was known as the Gulf Coast League (GCL). Together with the Arizona Complex League (ACL), it forms the lo ...

team, where he excelled with a .288 batting average in 49 games. Over the next two seasons (2008-2009), Almonte played for the

Charleston RiverDogs The Charleston RiverDogs are a Minor League Baseball team of the Carolina League. They are located in Charleston, South Carolina, and are the Single-A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays. The RiverDogs' home stadium is Joseph P. Riley Jr. Park. Hi ...

of the Class A

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

. In 2009, Almonte batted .288 with 56 RBIs in 115 games. In 2010, shortly after being promoted to the

Tampa Yankees Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

of the

Class A-Advanced High-A (officially Class High-A, formerly known as Class A-Advanced, and sometimes abbreviated "A+" in writing) is the third-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States and Canada, below Triple-A and Double-A, and abov ...

Florida State League The Florida State League (FSL) is a Minor League Baseball league based in the state of Florida. Having been classified at various levels throughout its existence, it operated at Class A-Advanced from 1990 until its demotion to Single-A following ...

, played only 15 games before undergoing surgery to repair a torn right labrum. He came back healthy in 2011 for Tampa, and reached a 34-game hit streak midseason. Almonte's performance earned him a promotion to the

Trenton Thunder The Trenton Thunder are a collegiate summer baseball team of the MLB Draft League. They are located in Trenton, New Jersey, and play their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. From 1994 to 2020, it was a Minor League Baseball team of the Doub ...

of the Double-A Eastern League. In 78 games, he batted .276 with four home runs and 25 RBIs.

Seattle Mariners

On February 13, 2013, the Yankees traded Almonte to the

for

relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...

. Once becoming a Mariner, Almonte was first sent to the

Jackson Generals The Jackson Generals were a professional baseball team located in Jackson, Tennessee. From 1998 to 2020, they were a part of Minor League Baseball's Southern League (1964–2020), Southern League (SL) as the Double-A (baseball), Double-A affiliat ...

of the Class AA Southern League. While there, he hit .255 with 18 RBIs and 4 home runs in 29 games before impressing the organization enough to be called up to Triple-A with the

Tacoma Rainiers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960 ...

. Almonte spent the majority of the 2013 campaign with the

Tacoma Rainers The Tacoma Rainiers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners. They are located in Tacoma, Washington, and play their home games at Cheney Stadium, which opened in 1960 ...

, playing in 94 games and batting .314 with 50 RBIs, 11 home runs, and a. 403 OBP, .491 SLG and an .894 OPS. These numbers were good enough to give Almonte a shot at the

MLB Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

level, as he was called up on August 30, 2013, and made his debut for the

against the

Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston, Texas. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West division, having moved to the division in 2013 after ...

on the road in Houston, Texas. On September 9, Almonte hit his first major league home run against Astros' relief pitcher Chia Jen Lo. Almonte began the 2014 regular season as the starting center fielder and leadoff hitter for the Mariners. Almonte played in 27 games early in the 2014 campaign, and struggled to produce at the major league level, only batting a mere .198 with eight RBIs, 40 strikeouts and a .248 OBP and .292 SLG. To halt the skid and rejuvenate the Mariners lineup, Almonte was optioned to Triple-A on May 5. Overall in part of two seasons with Seattle, Almonte appeared in 52 MLB games, batting .225 with three home runs and 17 RBIs.

San Diego Padres

On July 31, 2014, the Mariners traded Almonte and Stephen Kohlscheen to the

for

Chris Denorfia Christopher Anthony Denorfia (born July 15, 1980) is an American former professional baseball outfielder and coach. He currently serves as the manager for the Hartford Yard Goats, who are the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies of Major L ...

. With the Padres through the remainder of the season, Almonte batted .265 in 32 games. During 2015, Almonte appeared in 31 games for San Diego, compiling a .204 batting average.

Cleveland Indians

On July 31, 2015, the Padres traded Almonte to the

for Marc Rzepczynski. On August 8, 2015, Almonte was called up from the

Columbus Clippers The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, mercha ...

to start in center field. Almonte was suspended for 80 games on February 26, 2016, after testing positive for

boldenone Boldenone (developmental code name RU-18761), is a naturally occurring anabolic–androgenic steroid (AAS) and the 1(2)- dehydrogenated analogue of testosterone. Boldenone itself has never been marketed; as a pharmaceutical drug, it is used as ...

. Almonte was injured through portions of the 2017 season with the Indians, finishing with a .233 batting average and 3 home runs. He was

designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must within seven days, return the pla ...

on March 29, 2018. In parts of three seasons with Cleveland, Almonte batted .254 with nine home runs and 56 RBIs in 187 games.

Kansas City Royals

Almonte was claimed by the

on April 2, 2018. In 50 games with the Royals, be batted .179 with three home runs and nine RBIs. On July 16, he was designated for assignment and released a few days later.

Arizona Diamondbacks

On November 6, 2018, Almonte signed a minor league deal with the

. Almonte spent the 2019 minor league season with the

Reno Aces The Reno Aces are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are located in Reno, Nevada, and play their home games at Greater Nevada Field, which opened in 2009. ...

. On September 1, 2019, the Diamondbacks selected Almonte's contract. In 17 MLB games with Arizona, Almonte batted .290 with one home run and four RBIs. He was outrighted off of the 40-man roster by the Diamondbacks on October 31, and elected free agency on November 4.

San Diego Padres (second stint)

On January 4, 2020, Almonte signed a minor league deal with the

. On August 3, the Padres selected Almonte's contract to the active roster. In seven games with the Padres, Almonte batted 1-for-11 (.091). He was designated for assignment on October 6 and elected free agency on October 8.

Atlanta Braves

On October 30, 2020, Almonte signed a major league contract with the

. On March 27, 2021, Almonte was outrighted off of the 40-man roster. and assigned to the alternate training site. On May 31, Almonte was selected to the active roster. Almonte appeared in 64 games for the Braves, hitting .216 with five home runs and 19 RBIs. On August 27, 2021, Almonte was designated for assignment by the Braves. On September 3, Almonte cleared waivers and elected free agency.

Milwaukee Brewers

On October 15, 2021, Almonte signed a minor-league contract with the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

. In 48 games during 2022 with the Triple-A

Nashville Sounds The Nashville Sounds are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers. They are located in Nashville, Tennessee, Nashville, Tennessee, and are named for the ci ...

, he batted .294 with 11 home runs and 42 RBIs. He did not appear in a major-league game for Milwaukee.

Boston Red Sox

On July 25, 2022, Almonte was traded to the

for cash considerations. He was assigned to the Triple-A

Worcester Red Sox The Worcester Red Sox (nicknamed the WooSox) are a professional minor league baseball team based in Worcester, Massachusetts. Beginning play in 2021, the team is the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Boston Red Sox, succeeding the Pawt ...

. Almonte was added to Boston's active roster on September 7, and he appeared as a

pinch hitter In baseball, a pinch hitter is a substitute Batting (baseball), batter. Batters can be substituted at any time while the dead ball (baseball), ball is dead (not in active play); the manager (baseball), manager may use any player who has not yet ...

for the team that evening. He appeared in 15 games with the Red Sox through the end of the season, batting .257 with one home run and two RBIs. He also played in 32 games for Worcester, batting .291 with seven home runs and 24 RBIs. On October 11, Almonte was designated for assignment. He elected free agency four days later.

New York Mets

On December 16, 2022, Almonte signed a minor league deal with the

Personal life

Alcohol abuse and sobriety

In 2007 after the death of his father, Almonte began drinking

alcohol Alcohol most commonly refers to: * Alcohol (chemistry), an organic compound in which a hydroxyl group is bound to a carbon atom * Alcohol (drug), an intoxicant found in alcoholic drinks Alcohol may also refer to: Chemicals * Ethanol, one of sev ...

on a daily basis to cope with his grief. As a teenager living in New York, Almonte would regularly go out to clubs on weekdays and drink all night prior to his training the next day. His alcohol addiction remained somewhat harmless until 2010. During the start of the Yankees' 2010 Campaign, Almonte was the team's starting second baseman for his minor league club. 15 games into the season Almonte tore his labrum in his right shoulder which would require surgery. With more time away from baseball than ever before, Almonte found more time to drink, which he would do even more frequently. The addiction became something that Almonte was aware of and wanted to put an end to, but the cravings were too strong and he didn't know how to stop them. It wasn't until 2011 that Almonte was able to address and overcome his addiction. He credits the power of

God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...

as the thing that was able to make him realize alcohol was ruining his life. Almonte started regularly attending

church Church may refer to: Religion * Church (building), a building for Christian religious activities * Church (congregation), a local congregation of a Christian denomination * Church service, a formalized period of Christian communal worship * C ...

and was able to make more time for family and friends. After only a month of

sobriety Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels or effects from alcohol or drugs. Sobriety is also considered to be the natural state of a human being at birth. A person in a state of sobriety is considered sober. Organizations o ...

, Almonte lost and rejuvenated his baseball career.

Faith

Almonte has openly claimed that his faith holds the key to his success. "God has something bigger," Almonte said in an interview with ''

The News Tribune ''The News Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Tacoma, Washington. It is the second-largest daily newspaper in the state of Washington with a weekday circulation of 30,945 in 2020. With origins dating back to 1883, the newspaper w ...

''. "He is going to keep using me up here in the big leagues. No matter where they send me – big leagues, minor leagues, home, wherever they send me – I know I'm going to do whatever God wants me to do. Baseball or no baseball, if I do it to glorify God's name, I think I'll be OK."

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Almonte, Abraham 1989 births Living people Arizona Diamondbacks players Atlanta Braves players Boston Red Sox players Charleston RiverDogs players Cleveland Indians players Columbus Clippers players Dominican Republic Christians Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Republic sportspeople in doping cases Dominican Summer League Yankees players El Paso Chihuahuas players Gulf Coast Yankees players Jackson Generals (Southern League) players Kansas City Royals players Leones del Escogido players Major League Baseball outfielders Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball players suspended for drug offenses Reno Aces players San Diego Padres players Seattle Mariners players Sportspeople from Santo Domingo Tacoma Rainiers players Tampa Yankees players Trenton Thunder players Arizona League Diamondbacks players Gwinnett Stripers players Worcester Red Sox players Toros del Este players Nashville Sounds players