Miami Marlins sign three-time All-Star outfielder to minor-league deal
The Miami Marlins have been looking to add another productive bat to their lineup after adding infielder Jonathan Villar and first baseman Jesus Aguilar earlier this month.
They have a prospective candidate.
As first reported Wednesday morning by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale, the club signed outfielder Matt Kemp to a minor-league contract with an invitation to big-league spring training.
Kemp is one of nine players the Marlins have announced as part of their first wave of non-roster invites to spring training. The others: catchers Ryan Lavarnway, Santiago Chavez, BJ Lopez and Brian Navarreto; infielders Gosuke Katoh and Christian Lopes; and right-handed pitchers Aaron Northcraft and Josh A. Smith.
Kemp, however, is the headliner. The 35-year-old is a career .285 hitter with 281 home runs and 1,010 RBI to his name over 14 MLB seasons
He is a three-time All-Star, being named to the Midsummer Classic in 2011, 2012 and 2018.
Kemp played four seasons for Don Mattingly from 2011 to 2014 during their time together with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But he was a nonfactor in 2019, playing in just 20 games for the Cincinnati Reds before being released on May 4. He finished the year on a minor-league deal with the Mets.
Prior to that, though, he had hit at least 19 home runs in nine of the past 10 seasons and won the Gold Glove in 2009 and 2011.
Should he crack the Marlins’ major-league lineup with an impressive spring training, he will complement a Marlins lineup that, barring injury, will be centered on third baseman/right fielder Brian Anderson, shortstop Miguel Rojas, catcher Jorge Alfaro, Villar and Aguilar. The Marlins hope Isan Diaz will improve upon his rookie-year struggles to become a mainstay at second base.
It would also mean top prospects Jesus Sanchez and Monte Harrison could get extra time to develop should the team feel neither is fully ready to crack the Opening Day roster out of spring training.
Jon Berti, Lewis Brinson, Harold Ramirez, Magneuris Sierra and Austin Dean will also be outfield contenders for roster spots throughout spring training. Berti can play anywhere in the field except first base and catcher. Garrett Cooper can also play in the corner outfields but is expected to come off the bench.
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 10:24 AM.
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