Free-agent outfielder Yasiel Puig is signing with the Atlanta Braves, a source told ESPN, confirming a report by MLB.com.
The agreement comes after Braves outfielder Nick Markakis decided to opt out of the 2020 season earlier this month.
A major league All-Star in 2014, the 29-year-old Puig batted .267 in 149 games last season with the Cincinnati Reds and Cleveland Indians. He hit .297 with the Indians after being acquired on July 30 and gave the Indians an infusion of power and energy, helping their ultimately fruitless surge to catch the Minnesota Twins for the AL Central Division crown.
The boisterous right fielder was part of a wild fight between the Reds and Pirates mere hours before being dealt to Cleveland as part of a three-team trade that sent right-hander Trevor Bauer from Cleveland to Cincinnati. Puig was suspended three games for his aggressive actions on what turned out to be his last day with the Reds.
Puig, who joined the Reds in a December 2018 trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers, has a career batting average of .277. Perhaps his best overall offensive season was in 2017 when he batted .263 with a career-high 28 home runs and 74 RBIs.
Puig, who defected from Cuba in 2012, was popular with Dodgers fans during his six years in L.A. for his colorful personality, home run trots and ability to throw out runners from right field. He made headlines away from the field when his Los Angeles home was burglarized multiple times.
At the ballpark, he was benched at times, and the team considered trading him long before it did because of his perceived lack of hustle or interest in following orders.
