Kolten Wong joined the Los Angeles Dodgers when active rosters expanded at the beginning of September, and in remaining with the team for the rest of the season, the veteran infielder was among the players to accrue 10 years of Major League service time in 2023.
Prior to signing a Minor League contract with the Dodgers, Wong began the season as a member of the Seattle Mariners. He appeared in 67 games prior to getting designated for assignment, batting .165/.241/.227 with six doubles, two home runs and 19 RBI.
The MLB Players Association announced 30 players reached 10 years of service time at various points this season. The group includes former Dodgers pitcher Alex Wood, who joined the illustrious group in his third season with the San Francisco Giants.
Accruing 10 years of Major League service time is considered a significant benchmark as fewer than 10% of players in MLB history have accomplished the feat.
Prior to Wong, Kenley Jansen and Justin Turner were the last Dodgers players to become part of the rare group in 2020. Kourtney Turner surprised Justin and his Dodgers teammates with a custom bottle of tequila to commemorate the achievement.
In April 2016, Andre Ethier obtained a no-trade clause by virtue of becoming a 10-and-5 player. In order to earn the right to veto a trade, a player must reach 10 years of Major League service time, including the last five seasons with the same club.
How Kolten Wong joined the Dodgers
Wong became a free agent upon clearing waivers after getting designated for assignment by the Mariners at the trade deadline. He signed a Minor League contract with the Dodgers and was assigned to their Arizona Complex League team in order to work with the organization’s hitting coaches at Camelback Ranch.
“Right when I signed, I went down to Arizona and started working with the hitting coaches, working in the hitting labs,” Wong said. “Just kind of cleaning some stuff up that I had creep in with Seattle, which led to my demise.”
The 32-year-old went 7-for-13 with two doubles and six RBI in just three games with Triple-A Oklahoma City before having his contract selected by the Dodgers on September 1.
Wong’s time spent with Dodgers hitting coaches continued to pay off as he hit .300/.353/.500 with two doubles and eight RBI over 20 games during the final month of the regular season.
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