Braves sign Nick Markakis to four-year deal

At one point this offseason, it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that Nick Markakis would be returning to the Orioles in 2015. However, Yahoo Sports is reporting today that the veteran outfielder will be leaving Baltimore, where he has spent the entirety of his nine-year major league career, for Atlanta and the Braves.

Source: OF Nick Markakis agrees to four-year deal with Atlanta Braves. Dollars unclear, but sides discussed a deal in neighborhood of $44M.

— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 3, 2014

Although Markakis was born in Glen Cove, New York, he went to high school in the Atlanta area, so this is something of a homecoming for him. Once considered an option for the Mets, Markakis fell off the team's radar when it inked Michael Cuddyer in November.

In our free agent profile of Markakis, we noted that while he has been a durable asset for Baltimore, his declining power and poor defense made him a poor fit for the Mets, even with Citi Field's shrinking outfield.

Last season, Markakis was worth 2.5 fWAR thanks to a .276/.342/.386 line that the Mets are hoping Cuddyer can beat in 2015.