Baltimore Orioles Add Infield Depth With Former Gold Glover
At this point in the offseason, many teams are looking for some depth pieces they can add to their organization that might help them throughout the long season.
That's what the Baltimore Orioles have done the past couple days.
Perhaps no executive in the league finds better value additions than Mike Elias when getting players into their developmental system.
He took a chance on a former All-Star pitcher who adds depth to their pitching unit that is battling some injuries to start the year.
Now, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN, the Orioles have also signed former two-time Gold Glove winner Kolten Wong to a minor league contract with an invite to Spring Training.
Most known for his eight-year tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals, Wong cemented himself as one of game's best defensive infielders but never could quite figure things out at the plate.
Only two times in his full seven seasons of play with the Cardinals did he record an OPS+ of over 100.
Wong was a much better hitter during his two years with the Milwaukee Brewers, slashing a career-best .262/.337/.439 with 29 home runs and 97 RBI. His OPS+ during this time was 113.
He was traded to the Seattle Mariners last year, where he struggled mightily and was eventually designated for assignment. Wong was signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers and he had a good stretch in September that showed some promise.
Now, he'll get an opportunity within another developmentally savvy organization like Baltimore.
With concerns already present over how stacked the Orioles' infield currently is, it seems unlikely that Wong would find himself in an impactful role in 2024.
But, as the franchise found out with their pitching staff, it never hurts to have too much depth who has Major League experience.
