Twins signing Tony Kemp feels like a roster move that will finally pay off

It's taken less than a few weeks for the Minnesota Twins to feel the burn of not making any meaningful moves this past offseason. Instead of adding to the roster after the most successful postseason run since 2002, the Twins shrunk the payroll and cowered in fear over potential future revenue being lost thanks to the TV drama with Diamond Sports Group.

Minnesota's roster getting ransacked by the injury bug isn't a result of the team not making move, but the mad scramble to figure out how to survive very much is. Already the Twins have made some minor league trades to start padding depth below the MLB-level, and the moves continue to get more notable with each new injury.

On Friday the Twins lost Carlos Correa, who was placed on the 10-day IL and joins the likes of Royce Lewis and Max Kepler as key position players who are out of the lineup. On Tuesday the team made a move to add some more depth, adding Tony Kemp in a deal that could end up aging wonderfully.

Twins sign veteran Tony Kemp after Orioles DFA'd him to make room for Jackson Holliday

Baltimore DFA'd Kemp the other week to make room for Jackson Holliday, and it was a moment that reminded everyone of what a stand up guy he is. Rather than sulk, Kemp sent a heartfelt message to Holliday and wished him well ahead of his MLB debut.

He didn't have to do that, but it's a testament to the type of guy the Twins just added to their organization.

Minnesota is getting more than just a quality dude in Kemp. He's a lefty who slashed .248/.328/.348 line and 95 OPS+ the past three years and can help fill some major holes in the lineup. With Correa and Lewis out, Kemp could help platoon with Kyle Farmer and Willi Castro to plug-and-play the right side of the infield, and will likely add some nice offensive power to the lineup that seems to be sorely lacking.

His slash line isn't anything earth shattering, but the Twins can use all the help they can get right now.

Kemp can also help in the outfield as well, and feels adjacent to what Castro brings to the bench in terms of being a utility player who can help out all over. This is the sort of signing the Twins have made the last few seasons late in Spring Training to help bolster the roster. Think along the lines of Donovan Solano joining the team last year and how that lowkey veteran addition ended up paying off big in the end.

Figuring out where he'll fit into the lineup is getting a bit ahead of ourselves, though, as Kemp is going to start out at Triple-A and see if he can work his way up.

Even in St. Paul his presence in the clubhouse will be valuable. The Twins havea few players in the pipeline who will be reaching the MLB roster at some point in the near future, and the idea of a guy like Kemp working to prepare Brooks Lee for his debut is a pretty awesome thought.

Kemp getting back the majors seems likely, though. He has the chops to add to Minnesota's lineup and there's a pretty clear path for him to get there and hopefully make an impact when he does.

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