ATLANTA — Utility player Ryan Flaherty and outfielder Peter Bourjos have agreed to one-year contracts with the Atlanta Braves following their releases from other teams late in spring training.
Flaherty, a native of Portland who starred at Deering High School, played only 23 games last season with the Baltimore Orioles, missing nearly three months with a right shoulder strain. The 31-year-old saw action at every infield position except first base, as well as left and right field. Flaherty had been in camp with Philadelphia as a non-roster invitee, but was released last week.
Flaherty, a 2005 Deering graduate who is the son of University of Southern Maine baseball head coach Ed Flaherty, attended Vanderbilt University. He was a first-round draft pick of the Chicago Cubs (41st overall) in 2008 and was selected by Baltimore in the 2011 Rule 5 draft.
The 6-foot-3, 220-pounder spent parts of six seasons with the Orioles. He has compiled a career batting average of .215 with 35 home runs and 128 runs batted in.
Despite playing several positions, Flaherty boasts a career fielding percentage of .985 with 21 errors in 1,367 chances.
Last season in Baltimore, Flaherty earned $1.8 million. His deal with the Braves is expected to net him approximately $750,000 according to reports.
Bourjos played last season with Tampa Bay and hit .223 with five homers and 15 RBIs in 100 games. The 30-year-old was cut last week by the Chicago Cubs.
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