Source: Mets agree with veteran Matt Kemp on minor-league deal
NEW YORK -- The injury-riddled New York Mets added another veteran outfielder to the mix on Friday, agreeing to terms with Matt Kemp on a minor-league deal, a source confirmed to Yahoo! Sports.
The deal is pending a physical. Kemp will report to Triple-A Syracuse and is healthy, according to a source.
Kemp, 34, was released by the Cincinnati Reds on May 4. He was batting .200/.210/.283 with a homer and five RBIs in 20 games before being placed on the injured list on April 23 with a broken rib. He suffered the injury while crashing into the wall in San Diego two days earlier.
Kemp landed in Cincinnati as part of the seven-player trade that shipped Yasiel Puig out of Los Angeles in December. He made his third All-Star team last season with the Dodgers, and finished with a .290 batting average, .818 OPS, 21 homers and 85 RBIs.
Veterans Carlos Gomez and Rajai Davis signed minor-league deals with the Mets during spring training, but both were promoted — and were in the starting lineup on Friday night — partially due to injuries to Michael Conforto (concussion), Jeff McNeil (hamstring) and Brandon Nimmo (neck).
The Mets also claimed outfielder Aaron Altherr from San Francisco.
Kemp is in the final year of an eight-year, $160 million extension he signed with the Dodgers in 2011. He is owed $21.5 million this season, $7 million of which will be paid by Los Angeles, with the Reds being on the hook for the remaining $14.5 million.
