It’s easy to overlook Tony Kemp on the Oakland A’s roster. He’s not the single best option at any position, the very definition of a utilityman, and at age 29 he doesn’t bring the tantalizing upside of a fresh new prospect. In fan debates, he’s often the one being DFA’d to make room for everyone’s creative trade idea or coveted free agent signing.
Even in the real lineup he can be something of an afterthought. The A’s picked him up ahead of 2020 and he opened last summer as the starting second baseman, and then midway through the season they acquired an upgrade at the keystone and Kemp barely played the rest of the year.