The Orioles announced that they have signed infielder/outfielder to a major league contract, with infielder/outfielder designated for a signment in a corresponding move. Kemp will make a salary of $1MM, per , a bit north of this years Corbin Martin Jersey $740K league minimum. Kemp, 32, is coming off a decent stretch with the As over the past four years. His 11.7% strikeout rate was quite low and he drew walks at a solid 10.5% clip. He didnt provide much thump when putting the bat on the ball, as he hit just 20 home run in his 1,488 plate appearances in that time. But his .240/.330/.345 batting line was still close to average, translating to a 97 wRC+. Unfortunately, the most recent season of those four was the worst, as he hit just .209/.303/.304 in 2023. He settled for a minor league deal with the Reds this winter and had a nice spring, slashing .333/.391/.619, though in a tiny sample of 23 plate appearances. Despite that good form, he wasnt going to make the roster of a Reds club that has a fairly crowded position player mix, so he returned to the open market. He had an opt-out on his minor league deal and he either triggered it or the Reds simply let him go to explore other opportunities. The Orioles are also loaded with position player talent but will find a way to squeeze Kemp in somehow. They seem to have opted to get some of their talented youngsters more playing time at the Triple-A level, with guys like , , and all being last week. While those guys are getting regular playing time on the farm, Kemp will take on a multi-positional bench role with the major league club. Hes not really an option at shortstop, with just two career innings there, but he has plenty of experience at second base and left field. Kemp has fairly neutral platoon splits in his career, 100 wRC+ versus lefties and 93 against righties, but and are both right-handed. Since Uras and Westburg will likely be covering second and third base in some combination, Kemp can provide a lefty-swinging complement. Left fielder and first baseman/designated hitter are also right-handed, which perhaps provides another path for Kemp to factor into the clubs plans. He also had double-digit stolen bases in each of the past two years, which could allow him to serve as a pinch-runner at times. His left field defense has been considered around league average though the metrics are split on his work at the keystone, with seven Outs Above Average but -17 Defensive Runs Saved. The Os were seemingly deciding between and for a bench/utility role, as both are out of options and were acquired from the Tigers in separate cash deals this offseason. Nevin hit .333/.367/.474 this spring while Maton hit just .000/.207/.000. That poor performance has seemingly cost Maton his roster spot. The Os will now have a week to trade him or try to pa s him through waivers. He has struggled in the majors, with a .208/.306/.361 batting line thus far, but hes naturally been better in the minors. Hes hit .274/.383/.440 on the farm over the past two years for a 118 wRC+ while spending time at all four infield positions and the outfield corners. That could lead to him finding some interest from other clubs, but since hes out of options and the season is about to begin, he might get squeezed by the fact that many clubs are making tough roster cuts right now. If he were to pa s through waivers unclaimed, he would stick with the Os as non-roster depth. What remains to be seen is exactly how Baltimore will structure its bench before Opening Day. will have one spot as a backup catcher, with Kemp and serving as infield/outfield pieces. That leaves just one spot for Nevin or , the latter of whom is still optionable. Jake Hager Jersey