Abraham Almonte Baseball Cards Overview
Abraham Almonte is an outfielder who played in Major League Baseball from 2011-2019. While he did not have a long or statistically impressive MLB career, Almonte has generated some interest from baseball card collectors over the years due to his participation in high-profile MLB organizations and international competitions. Let’s take a deeper look at Abraham Almonte baseball cards to learn more about his career and the cards that collectors can find featuring the journeyman outfielder.
Minor League Career and Early Cards
Almonte was signed by the New York Yankees as an international free agent in 2004 out of the Dominican Republic. He rose steadily through the Yankees’ farm system over the next several years, showing good power and plate discipline skills while playing all three outfield positions. Almonte’s early minor league career resulted in cards from mainstream sets like Bowman and Topps Minor League Leaders as well as prospect-focused sets like Topps Prospects. His prospect status and affiliation with the Yankees made for some desirable rookie cards during this period that card collectors still seek out today.
Breaking Into the Majors with the Yankees
After batting .276 with 12 home runs and 76 RBI between Double-A and Triple-A in 2011, Almonte received his first big league promotion by the Yankees in September. He went 2-for-11 in limited action down the stretch, but it was enough to earn him a rookie card in 2012 Topps Series 1. In 2012, Almonte split time between Triple-A and the Bronx, batting .241 in 53 MLB games while showing glimpses of his power and speed skills. This resulted in additional major league cards in sets like Topps Heritage and Topps Update during this period as a Yankee farmhand-turned-role player.
Traded to Arizona and Breakout Season
Prior to the 2013 season, Almonte was traded from the Yankees to the Arizona Diamondbacks along with minor leaguers Shane Hawk and Brad Raulerson in exchange for Heath Bell, DJ Mitchell, and Blake Wood. This marked the start of Almonte’s most productive MLB stint to date. Playing regularly in the Diamondbacks outfield in 2013, he batted .277 with 9 home runs and 56 RBI in 113 games to establish himself as a big league regular for the first time. Almonte’s breakout season earned him cards in the 2013 Topps Series 2 update set showing him in a D-Backs uniform for the first time.
International Competition and Suspension
In the 2013-2014 offseason, Almonte represented the Dominican Republic in the 2013 World Baseball Classic. He batted .333 in 5 games to help lead the Dominican team to the championship. This solid international performance netted Almonte cards in specialized World Baseball Classic sets. Shortly after, he was suspended 80 games by Major League Baseball after testing positive for a performance-enhancing substance. This suspension and PED use was acknowledged on certain 2014 cards with a “SUSP” notation.
Brief Stints with Atlanta and Cleveland
After serving his suspension in 2014, Almonte returned to Arizona to bat .258 in 51 games. He was then traded to the Atlanta Braves in August 2014. Almonte got into 11 games for Atlanta that year. In 2015, he was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians and spent most of the year in Triple-A, receiving a September call-up. Almonte’s brief tenures in Atlanta and Cleveland uniforms resulted in a few minor update cards showing him with those organizations.
Later Career Stints and International Play
From 2016-2019, Almonte bounced between the minors and brief stints with the San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, and Kansas City Royals organizations. He continued to play winter ball in the Dominican League and represent their national team in international tournaments. During this later stage of his career, Almonte’s cards became increasingly scarce in mainstream MLB sets as he transitioned into more of a journeyman minor leaguer. He did appear in specialized international sets issued by Panini and Leaf during this period showcasing his overseas play.
Summary – An Interesting Mid-Tier Collector
While not a true star player, Almonte’s decade-long professional career traversing multiple MLB organizations along with his international accomplishments have made him a unique and sometimes sought-after mid-tier collecting target. His rookie cards from the Yankees days along with World Baseball Classic and breakout Diamondbacks issues seem to attract the most attention. But dedicated minor league and team collectors may also take interest in Almonte’s many uniform changes depicted on a scattered assortment of minor updates over the years.