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The Orioles announced Wednesday that they have signed the veteran second baseman. Kolten Wong to a minor league deal. The PSI Sports Management client will join their big league camp as a non-roster invitee. Baltimore also confirmed the previously reported signing of the right-hander. Julio Tehran – also with a minor league contract and a non-roster invitation.
Wong split the 2023 season between the Mariners and Dodgers, and struggled mightily during a month-long stint in Seattle before posting good numbers in a small sample of 34 plate appearances with the Dodgers late in the season. The veteran, now 33, hit just .165/.241/.227 in 216 plate appearances as a Mariner (65% worse than league average, as measured by wRC+) before hitting .300/. 353/. 500 with a pair of home runs in his brief time in Los Angeles.
Before last season’s uneven and generally unpleasant performance, Wong was a relatively consistent source of slightly above-average plate production and a defensive standout. A two-time Gold Glove winner at second base, he was the game’s top defensive option at that position for a few years. And from 2017 to 2022, Wong racked up 2,564 plate appearances between the Cardinals and Brewers, posting a combined .269/.349/.414 slash line (about 7% better than average, according to wRC+).
Wong has never been a top-tier power hitter or speed threat, but he has five seasons of double-digit home run totals and another five seasons of double-digit stolen base totals. He has been swinging at a 16% rate which is well below the league average, while he has walked at a 7.7% rate which is less than a percentage point below the league average.
Given the sheer volume of infield talent the Orioles possess, Wong will face an uphill battle to make the club. Gunnar Henderson can handle any position on the left side of the diamond, and will be joined by a mix of hyped prospects including Jordan Westburg, Connor Norby and Jackson Holliday – the current number one overall prospect in baseball.
Baltimore also has veteran depth/utility options in the form of Ramon Urias and jorge mateo, the latter of whom will see more time in the outfield this spring due to the wealth of infield talent the O’s have in-house. Corner infielder Coby Mayo He is also quickly rising through the minor league ranks and could debut this season, while another top prospect, Heston KjerstadHe is also on the list for at-bats alongside veteran ryan montecastle at the beginning and Antonio Santander in right field. One thing that may work in Wong’s favor is her left-handed bat. Each of Westburg, Norby, Mayo, Urías and Mateo bats right-handed. If the O’s want a veteran left-handed hitter off the bench who can spend some time at second and provide security for their group of talented but inexperienced infielders, Wong could fit the bill.