Report: Matt Kemp Agrees to Minor League Deal With Mets
The Mets agreed to a minor-league contract with outfielder Matt Kemp on Friday, pending a physical, according to The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal.
Kemp was released by the Reds on May 4 after 20 games in Cincinnati. The three-time All-Star hit .200 with 19 strikeouts, homering just once. He suffered a broken left rib on Sunday, April 21, and was placed on the injured list two days later. He has not played since.
New York added Kemp as a rash of injuries hit its own lineup. Robinson Cano, Michael Conforto, Jeff McNeil and Brandon Nimmo are all on the injured list as the Mets enter Friday night third in the NL East at 24–25. They also added Aaron Altherr, once a top-prospect outfielder with the Phillies, to their big-league roster after claiming him off waivers from the Giants on Thursday.
Additionally, the Mets bringing in Kemp to fill a role in their injury-depleted outfield doesn't bode well for former Heisman Trophy winner Tim Tebow, who was hitting .157 with one home run and 11 RBI in 36 games with Triple-A Syracuse before play began on Friday. The former University of Florida and NFL quarterback is attempting to resurrect his professional sports career as a MLB outfielder. However, the signings of past-their-prime veteran outfielders like Kemp, Gregor Blanco and Rajai Davis indicate that Tebow, the highest-profile prospect in the Mets' organization, still has a lot of work to do before he is major-league ready.
Kemp is a career .285 hitter with 281 home runs and 1,010 RBI. The 34-year-old spent the first nine years of his career with the Dodgers, leading the National League in homers, RBI and runs in 2011. Kemp finished second in the NL MVP that season to Ryan Braun.
