The Baltimore Orioles signed Los Angeles Dodgers free agent Kolten Wong to a Minor League contract with a non-roster invite to 2024 Spring Training.
Wong joins the Orioles after finishing the 2023 season with the Dodgers upon getting designated for assignment at the trade deadline and released by the Seattle Mariners.
Wong had signed a two-year, $18 million contract with the Milwaukee Brewers in February 2021, and the deal also included a $10 million team option for 2023. The Brewers exercised their team option after Wong batted a combined .262/.337/.439 with 56 doubles, six triples, 29 home runs, 97 RBI and 29 stolen bases over 250 games through two seasons with the team.
However, Milwaukee traded Wong to the Mariners for Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro one month after picking up his contract option for 2023.
Seattle envisioned Wong providing stability at second base, despite the fact he was coming off a down year defensively. He improved in terms of errors but still graded out as league average or below in several defensive metrics.
That was coupled with only hitting .165/.241/.227 with six doubles, two home runs and 19 RBI over 67 games for the Mariners ahead of getting released.
Immediately after signing with the Dodgers, Wong reported to Camelback Ranch to work with the organization’s hitting coaches. He briefly joined Triple-A Oklahoma City and had his contract selected when active rosters expanded on the first day of September.
Wong hit .300/.353/.500 with two doubles and eight RBI over 20 games during the final month of the regular season. That earned him a spot on the Dodgers’ postseason roster for the National League Division Series, but Wong went hitless in three at-bats off the bench.
Kolten Wong appreciated Dodgers hitting coaches
Upon joining the Dodgers roster for the final month of the 2023 season, Wong raved about his time at Camelback Ranch.
“Right when I signed, I went down to Arizona and started working with the hitting coaches, working in the hitting labs,” he said. “Just kind of cleaning some stuff up that I had creep in with Seattle, which led to my demise.”
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