Orioles Veteran Infielder Willing to Change Position for Roster Spot
With the decision to sign a minor league with the Baltimore Orioles, Kolten Wong entered a new stage of his career.
The long-time veteran has played in the big leagues for 11 seasons, spending time at second base, center field, right field, left field, and shortstop.
He's made a living off being a versatile player and giving teams enough offensively to justify playing nearly every game.
Doing so with the Orioles in 2024 will be a different task, one that Wong might have a solution for.
Baltimore is loaded from top to bottom with talent. More importantly, young talent who aren't just searching for a chance to play, they have the potential to become future stars.
For Wong, being versatile could come back to help him.
According to Jake Rill of MLB.com, the veteran told the team that he'd be willing to play any position on the diamond.
"I didn't really know what my job was going to entail, so figured I'd be ready for it all," Wong said.
On Friday night against the Detroit Tigers, the Orioles played Wong at third base, a position he's never played before as a professional.
The two-time Gold Glove winner believes he'll be able to manage and that he feels good, saying it's more about using his feet than his hands.
Wong competed at third base and did what he needed to do to possibly warrant another opportunity. He's struggled offensively, going 1-9 in his first four games, which is somewhat of a concern for someone who wants to win a job.
Being versatile, however, adds flexibility to any team in baseball.
"If you can try to get him versatile, it adds to our team," manager Brandon Hyde said.
After a successful decade of playing professional baseball, Wong's more than content with giving another position a chance to be part of a Major League Baseball roster.
