The Orioles announced this morning that veteran infielder/outfielder Tony Kemp has been designated for assignment. His spot on the roster will go to the game’s No. 1 overall prospect, Jackson Holliday, whose previously reported promotion to the majors has now been officially announced by the team.
The veteran Kemp only signed with the O’s two weeks ago. He spent spring training with the Reds but was granted his release after he didn’t make the roster. He signed a big league deal with Baltimore on March 26 but went 0-for-10 with a walk and a strikeout in his limited time on Baltimore’s roster.
From 2020-22, the now-32-year-old Kemp was a solid contributor with the A’s. He split time between second base and left field, turning in a .252/.341/.361 slash (105 wRC+). Kemp lacks power but has superlative contact skills and keen plate discipline, evidenced by 12.5% strikeout rate and 10.5% walk rate during that three-year stretch (and by his career 10.1% walk rate and 13.3% strikeout rate).
The 2023 season was one of Kemp’s worst since debuting with the Astros back in 2016, however. He played 124 games with the A’s and picked up 419 plate appearances but mustered only a .209/.303/.304 slash (77 wRC+). Kemp struck out in a career-low 9.5% of his plate appearances and swiped a career-high 15 bases (in 19 attempts), but those silver linings don’t outweigh his broader-reaching struggles at the dish.
In 2247 career plate appearances at the MLB level, Kemp is a .237/.324/.351 hitter. He’s drawn roughly average defensive grades in left field and has typically been an average or better defender at second base, though metrics like Defensive Runs Saved (-9) and Outs Above Average (0) were down on his glovework in last year’s sample of 410 innings at the position.
The Orioles will have a week to trade Kemp, place him on outright waivers or release him. For veterans of this status, a release is most common, though it’s possible a team in need of some infield depth could look at the affordable nature of Kemp’s $1MM contract with the O’s and work out a small trade (likely for cash).
Now we just need to get Urias off this roster and we’ll be ready to roll
He’s playing like his days are numbered.
I feel like he’s playing his way INTO his days being numbered.
I’d wager Hays is the more likely to get DFA’d next now even though he has more cache being the longer-tenured player.
The next guy up from Norfolk would probably be Kjerstad given his unreal stats this year and having gotten his cup of coffee already late last year. Mayo and Norby are both raking in AAA but I figure they’ll be more late summer/fall call-ups.
Urias’ bat is off to a slow start for sure but he’s made some slick defensive plays and some in the clutch (like the force out to home in that one game against PIT).
Hays wouldn’t make it through waivers. There’s no way.
Then trade him for pitching. Kjerstad is too good not to be I. The MLB playing every day.
@schwender
Oh, I agree…another team would absolutely claim Hays. Then again, Urias would also almost certainly be claimed.
I just think Hays is the more logical fit as the DFA to free up a spot for Kjerstad (and more playing time for Cowser too). Urias is already accustomed to platoon play and bringing solid IF defense.
Hays doesn’t get near DFA territory. He’s coming off a 2.5 WAR season, had a 114 OPS+, and 5 DRS. He’s making $6million this year and still has one more year before free agency. You may see a trade, but I doubt it. He plays excellent defense and has a good bat. It’s April 10. We all need to calm down.
@Aaron
Brother, I assure you…I’m calm. I was just responding to the OP’s comment that Urias is the next on the block. I just don’t see how the stats lead to that conclusion. Urias has been much more productive than Hays on average and is already accustomed to a platoon role.
I just don’t see how Urias would be next on the block except emotionally.
Hays would clear waivers. At 6.3 million no team would bite. They would wait for the Orioles to release him after he cleared waivers and sign him for the minimum. But the Orioles aren’t releasing him.
I don’t think Urías has been more productive than Hays by any metric offensively , unless we’re only considering the 10 games so far in 2024. They’re both incredible defensively.
Hays is 28 to Urías’ 31 and he’s controllable
I don’t think this would even be a conversation if not for more of the prospects are OFers than infielders, save Mayo.
I don’t think either are likely to get DFA’d but Urías would be up first. Mateo can play in the outfield but he’s more of an infield utility player and that makes Urías redundant.
I would think that the likelihood, in order is that
1) Hays short side platoons with Cowser
2) Hays gets traded
3) Hays gets optioned to Norfolk until there’s an OF injury on the big club
CALM DOWN!?.CALM DOWN!? That’s not what we do here!
I don’t think a team at this point is willing to pay him 6m so he might make it, if not, the potential of the young guys is better than his solid but far from spectacular production.
I am acting on behalf of the CLE front office here, and we’d like to send Scott Barlow to BAL in exchange for Hays.
Who plays lf defensively at that level? You need a cf in lf at Camden yards. Only cowser fits that criteria.
I think you’d find a team willing to take on what’s left of the $6.3MM for Hays fairly easily.
I mean cmon guys. We’re talking about a solid OF who has had a few bad weeks. I don’t see anyway that he’s on the roster next season and could play his way into a non tender then, but I think you’d find an interested team at his current price point.
Urías is cheap (cheaper) and controllable too
There’s plenty of smart MLB teams with a need that would take those guys on for no prospect capital if they found their way to waivers.
No way would he clear. 6.3 million for a above average defensive outfield with a little pop and speed? But I agree they aren’t releasing him.
Hays DFA is absolute nonsense.
The Orioles don’t have to DFA Hays. He still has an option. So the Orioles could merely option him to Norfolk if they so desire. Doubt they would do that. If the Orioles were to DFA Hays, which they aren’t, he would clear waivers. 6.3 million salary, no team would take that on, they would just wait for him to be released. But Hays isn’t going anywhere.
Since he has an option, they won’t release him. They don’t need to put him thru waivers. If some one wants him, he comes with his contract.
Hays isn’t going anywhere.
That’s ridiculous. Hays is a proven bat and one of the best defensive outfielders in baseball. Ya all need to relax and not judge a veteran after he’s played 7 games.
Also stop acting like battering a terrible AAA team in Charlotte has anything to do with what guys will do in the majors. Look what happened last night when the Tides faced a real pitching prospect.
All these guys everybody wants to DFA started for a team that won 101 games – but you all want a team with no veterans. Calm down and let Elias do his job.
You should want the best players on your team regardless of age. Kjerstad is elite and needs to play. Why develop all this elite talent if you don’t intend to use it for some slightly above average players?
Hays has an option remaining.
Hays also has 2 options left
Poor fella. He’ll find a spot somewhere else, but it likely won’t be on a team of Baltimore’s caliber.
Agreed. Kemp seems like a solid dude and I got the sense from the other players’ body language that he’s a good clubhouse presence. I’d figure the O’s knew he’d be tradable given they gave him a guaranteed contract too given he was likely to get DFA’d for one of the O’s IFs that are tearing up AAA.
Also, he got robbed on that one challenge…should have been a hit but I think replay review is hesitant to overturn those because the “was it a double/did the runner score?” aspects are impossible to determine with replay.
Sugarland skeeters?
Seriously if your team doesn’t have a better option than Tony Kemp you’re in trouble.
Maybe the Marlins perhaps.
Drasco, Chris Getz is waving his arms furiously trying to get Mike Elias’ attention… With Moncada out indefinitely, Kemp is a better bench piece than anybody in the minors (assuming they won’t start Montgomery’s clock until after the Super Two cutoff).
I mean, it is still pissing in the wind, but…
@just_thinkin
Question though, are you saying an Urias DFA wouldn’t be nonsense? If so, would you care to elaborate?
For what it’s worth, Urias has actually been much more productive than Hays on average. For a quick stat, Hays has put up about 8.5 bWAR on about 2000 plate appearances where Urias has put up about 7.5bWAR in a little over half as many plate appearances.
Hays is a good, solid player and a veteran presence…but saying Urias should get the DFA first might be a bit of “voting with the heart rather than the head” thinking from what I can see via the stats and positional fit.
I think what a lot of people are missing is that the O’s don’t have many RH bats.
Hays and Urias both provide value for that and the defense. I don’t think Rubinstein is counting coins in the cushion either.
I think Hays may be the more valuable positional fit being a RH OF’er.
Stowers and Kjerstad are both lefties. Other than trying to stick Coby Mayo in a corner OF slot—-there’s not much knocking on the door .
If Urias goes—we have both Norby & Mayo for either 2b or 3B as depth.
Though we would obviously be taking a huge defensive downgrade.
Kemp is an example of a player who I wonder if he has what it takes to get to 10 years service time.
Seems incredibly doubtful since a player has to have 173 days on the active roster for it to equate to a year.
He made that good play yesterday, maybe the Sox works sign him.
(I’m not sure if he’s an actual upgrade, I’m just sick of watching Valdez and Hamilton play defense).
Yeah, he made the Premier Plays of the game, how can you do that to someone that accomplished that?
I think Bloom acquired both and that guy had no clue about defense at all!
Scuffling utility player that’s on the downswing of his career? Minimum salary?
BAH GOD, THAT’S – THAT’S JERRY REINSDORF’S MUSIC!
But he isn’t Cuban.
End of an era
Kemp has been a replacement level player throughout his career, except for the 2021 season when he somehow put up an .800 OPS. For that “production” he’s earned nearly ten million dollars. Not a bad parlay.
He’ll probably catch on somewhere, on his way to being an infield coach.
The amount of positional depth they have is insane. Feels wrong to congratulate a team for tanking all those years, but we’ll see if it pays off eventually.
104 wins last year says it already is paying off. Once they add more pitching, they just feel like a dynasty waiting to happen. I know nothing’s guaranteed..but I can’t remember ever seeing a team with this many young studs in 40 years of watching baseball.
Dynasty is a strong word especially in MLB. Granted, most of those players are under controll for what? 6 years. You either need to get creative like ATL or have the money like a Houston.
I would say the Orioles have proven their rebuild worked already. Winning 101 games and the division in the toughest in baseball points that out pretty well. If they don’t do anything better than that I would bet the reason would be because they didn’t support this team by bringing in outside help to fill in the weak points. They went out and got an ace from the Brewers so good there. They probably need to upgrade 3B and didn’t there.
I certainly wouldn’t predict a dynasty. That’s just setting yourself up for failure. You have to let this play out a lot more.
Braves have done a nice job locking down their young guys but they’re certainly spending a bunch of money.
They’ll be paying lux taxes this year.
See Astros.
Wow!
Terrible contract for Holliday. WAY underpaid.
If he were a free agent, he’d get at least $100 million.
It is immoral that the Orioles’ greedy owners are keeping all that money that should be going into Holliday’s pocket and that they haven’t yet offered him a deal that he feel accurately reflects his worth.
Takes two to tango. Orioles FO vs Scott Boras. Oof.
Jackson’s signing bonus was 8 plus mil. A record at the time for a high school draftee. Not chump change.
CYJ
A fraction of his market value
I expect the A’s might come a-callin’ for Kemp as long as he’s willing to work for food – specifically what the vendors have left after the game. And that’s not bad considering the Guardians’ “work for food” contracts provide 3 packs of ramen daily.
Where is that one A’s fan who thought he was the worst player in ML history?
100% he ends back with the A’s
Let’s not get carried away with the DFAs for Urais(GG 2022) and Hays(AS 2023). Both are above average MLB players. They both know they aren’t playing for their jobs, but their next job. Still steel sharpens steel.
I could see numerous teams that could use an outfielder like Hays and a player like Urias who has a gold glove in his resume. In today’s game neither of them have bad contracts. Teams will try to get them for nothing and why not?
Great win for O’s. But wait Jackson didn’t go 4 for 4? Is it harder to hit in the majors? Who knew.
Btw – excited about Jackson – just saying people need to calm down a bit with all the DFA talk.