Tony Kemp signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore on Tuesday, Andy Kostka of the BaltimoreBanner.com reports. Kemp opted out of his minor league contract with the Cincinnati Reds last week but has quickly found a new home. This time, he will be on a contender on a big league contract as he will be an option to see some action at second base and left field. He will likely be set for a reserve role coming off the bench for the Orioles. Nick Maton was designated for assignment to make room for Kemp.
Tony Kemp Joins the Baltimore Orioles
The 32-year-old will earn $1 million, which is higher than the $740,000 league minimum. Kemp is coming off a decent stretch with the Oakland Athletics over the past four years. He was striking out 11.1 percent of the time and drawing walks at a 10.5 percent clip. His .340/.330/.345 batting line is still close to average but his most recent season of four was his worst. He did well with the Reds, hitting .333/.391/.619 through a small sample size of 23 plate appearances.
Even though it was a strong spring, the Reds simply weren’t going to give him a roster spot. The club has a crowded position player mix, forcing Kemp to return to the free agent market.
Will He Be on the Opening Day Roster?
The Orioles have not set their Opening Day roster as the signing does not guarantee a spot for Kemp. Tyler Nevin is still in contention for the final bench spot. Both Kemp and Nevin are out of options as they have similar play profiles. They can play in the infield and outfield, however, Nevin hits right-handed whereas Kemp hits left-handed. Final rosters do not need to be set until Opening Day Thursday when the Orioles play the Los Angeles Angels. Whoever makes it will likely be a filler until one of the club’s top prospects is promoted.
A Possible Veteran Presence for an Emerging Bird Team
The Orioles are loaded with position player talent. They will find a way to squeeze in the veteran one way or another. Baltimore opted to give their younger players more seasoning in Triple-A. Players like Jackson Holliday, Coby Mayo, Kyle Stowers and Heston Kjerstad were all optioned or reassigned in the past week. With those youngsters getting more playing time on the farm, Kemp will likely take on a multi-positional bench role. Kemp is fairly neutral with his platoon splits in his career and he also had double-digit stolen bases in the past two years. That could benefit him to serve as a pinch-runner at times.
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