Kelly Johnson was a first-round pick of the Atlanta Braves in the 2000 MLB draft, and after 11 years in the big leagues, he may be returning for a fourth stint with the club.

The Braves are considering the acquisition of Johnson, who is a free agent, for a bench role, according to David O'Brien of AJC.com, who also says another veteran - and former Braves first-round draft choice - Jeff Francoeur could be a possibility.

After finishing the second half of last season with a winning record, and with them moving into a new ballpark to begin 2017, the Braves have been aggressive in acquiring veteran players during the offseason.

Adding Johnson to their club would give them a versatile veteran off the bench, who has played eight different positions - including designated hitter - during his career.

Braves projected bench - 2016 stats

PLAYER POS HR RBI OPS WAR Anthony Recker C 2 15 .828 0.8 Chase d'Arnaud IF/OF 1 21 .652 0.3 Sean Rodriguez IF/OF 18 56 .859 1.9 Mallex Smith OF 3 22 .681 0.5

General manager John Coppolella and the Braves' front office have already signed R.A. Dickey, Bartolo Colon, and Sean Rodriguez in free agency, and acquired southpaw Jaime Garcia in a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals. They also inked outfielder Ender Inciarte to a long-term contract extension.

Johnson played with the Braves from 2005-09, and in both 2015 and '16. Over the course of his career, the 34-year-old has appeared in a big-league contest for eight different clubs, hitting .251/.330/.422 with 155 home runs and 550 RBIs.