Rockies sign Matt Kemp to replace Ian Desmond in player pool
The Miami Marlins chose not to make Matt Kemp a member of their 60-man player pool for the 2020 season just six months after they signed him to a minor-league deal, but the three-time All-Star is getting a shot with another organization.
Kemp has signed a minor-league contract with the Colorado Rockies, according to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. He is expected to replace Ian Desmond in the team’s 60-player pool.
The Colorado #Rockies have signed slugger Matt Kemp to a minor-league contract to replace Ian Desmond on the roster.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) June 30, 2020
Desmond has decided to opt out of the 2020 season to be with his family and try to help out in his Florida community. He explained his decision in a lengthy post on Instagram late Monday night.
Kemp hit .200 with one home run and an on-base percentage of just .210 in 20 games with the Cincinnati Reds last season. However, he had a solid year when he returned to the Dodgers in 2018, when he played in 146 games and batted .290 with 25 homers, 85 RBI and an OPS of .818. If the Rockies can get something closer to the 2018 version of Kemp, he could be a big help for them.
