Zoilo Almonte


Zoilo Manuel Almonte is a Dominican professional baseball outfielder for the Chunichi Dragons of Nippon Professional Baseball. He has played in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees and Sultanes de Monterrey of the Mexican Baseball League.

Career

New York Yankees

Almonte was added to the Yankees' 40 man roster after the 2011 season to protect him from the Rule 5 draft.
For the week of June 11-17, 2012, Almonte was named Eastern League player of the week. He was named player of the week of the International League on May 6, 2013. The Yankees promoted Almonte to the major leagues on June 19, 2013. Almonte made his Major League debut in the 2nd game of a doubleheader against the Los Angeles Dodgers the same day he was called up, grounding out as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the 9th inning. He got his first major league hit the next day against Kyle Farnsworth of the Tampa Bay Rays, a pinch-hit single off the third base bag. He hit his first major league home run the very next day off Roberto Hernández of the Rays. On July 20, 2013, Almonte was placed on the 15-day disabled list due to an ankle sprain.
He was optioned back down to AAA on June 4, 2014 after only being called up the previous month. On July 9, 2014 Zoilo Almonte was recalled to the big leagues to replace Masahiro Tanaka who was placed on the 15-day DL. On July 13, 2014, Almonte was sent back down to AAA. On July 28, Almonte was recalled back up to the Yankees replacing pitcher Jeff Francis on the roster after Francis was designated For assignment and released. Almonte was designated for assignment on September 2, 2014, and outrighted to AAA Scranton on September 5.

Atlanta Braves

Almonte signed a one-year deal with the Atlanta Braves on November 10, 2014. He was outrighted off the roster on March 31, 2015, and elected free agency on April 9.

Pericos de Puebla

On February 1, 2016, Almonte signed with the Pericos de Puebla Of The Mexican League, but only played 7 games for the club.

Sultanes de Monterrey

On April 12, 2016, Almonte was traded from the Pericos to the Sultanes de Monterrey.

Chunichi Dragons

On December 27, 2017, Almonte was officially unveiled as a Chunichi Dragons player for the 2018 Nippon Professional Baseball season on an incentive laden ¥50,000,000, one-year deal. He re-signed with the Dragons for the 2019 season on a one year deal worth, ¥100,000,000.