Report: Marlins Sign Matt Kemp to Minor League Deal

The Marlins have reportedly agreed to a minor league deal with former Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp. The deal is said to include an invite to their MLB camp this spring.

The Marlins have a history of bringing in veteran outfielders for bench roles, and Matt Kemp might be the latest one in that line. The 35 year-old outfielder is looking to bounce back from recent injury struggles that saw him released by both the Cincinnati Reds and the New York Mets in 2019.

Kemp is a three-time all-star and could provide Miami with a power bat off the bench. In his 14-year career, Kemp has hit 281 home runs and 335 doubles. He’s knocked in 1010 runs and picked up 503 walks. His career batting average is .285, with a .337 OBP and .485 SLG percentage.

Primarily a corner outfielder throughout his career, Kemp could provide depth for the Marlins at those positions. He’s been traded four times in his career, including twice by the Dodgers. He was part of the trade that sent Miami free agent target Yasiel Puig to Cincinnati from LA.

USA Today’s Bob Nightengale was the first to report the signing.

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His signing reunites Kemp with manager Don Mattingly. Kemp will certainly look to improve upon his 2019 performance, which saw him hit just .200 in 60 at-bats, with only one home run, two doubles and five RBI.

Miami beat-writer Wells Dusenbury, of the Sun Sentinel, reported the Marlins met with Matt Kemp during the recent Winter Meetings.

Hopefully, Kemp can indeed have that bounce-back season and provide Miami with some depth and some pop in the lineup. They were last in the majors in home runs and runs scored last season. Since its a minor league deal, this qualifies as a very-low risk, high-reward type of move.