After a poor start to the season with the Cincinnati Reds and his subsequent release, Matt Kemp will get another shot to prove his worth this season, this time with the New York Mets.
Kemp, a 2018 All-Star selection, was released on May 4th after hitting .200 in 60 at-bats for Cincinnati. Many were surprised at the Reds’ decision considering Kemp’s elite pedigree and offensive potential.
While he is not a good defender in the outfield anymore, Kemp has shown that he can still swing the bat. The 34-year-old veteran had a productive year with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2018, hitting .290 with 21 home runs.
Kemp was traded to Cincinnati due to an outfield logjam in LA last offseason. The Reds thought that he and former LA teammate Yasiel Puig would make a formidable slugging outfield duo.
Things didn’t quite work out that way, however, so the Reds cut ties with Kemp, who now must settle for a minor league deal with the New York Mets. The NL East team is short on outfielders at the moment due to injuries to key players such as Yoenis Céspedes.
Kemp will try to prove his worth in the minors with the Mets and look to break into the Majors and leave his mark yet again.
