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By Jackson Roberts
Contributing Sports Writer
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The Cleveland Guardians are rarely big players in free agency, which means they thrive on exploiting market inefficiencies.
On Tuesday, the Guardians picked up a player who would have virtually no value in a vacuum, but because he once had a big-time prospect pedigree, he was deemed worthy of a shot on a low-risk deal.
According to the league's official transactions log, the Guardians signed infielder Carter Kieboom to a minor-league contract on Tuesday. Once a first-round pick for the Washington Nationals, Kieboom has struggled in five small-sample seasons in the majors and departed from the Los Angeles Angels organization via minor-league free agency in November.
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Kieboom, 28, was the 28th overall pick in the 2016 Major League Baseball Draft. He rose quickly through the minors and landed on virtually every Top 100 prospects list before the 2019 season, but in the time since, he's never appeared in more than 62 major league games in a season.
In 136 games overall, Kieboom owns a .200/.297/.300 slash line with 12 home runs, 43 RBIs, no stolen bases, and 139 strikeouts. He spent nearly the entire season with Triple-A Salt Lake and was only recalled in time to play three games for the Angels at the end of September.
It's getting late for Kieboom to make good on the promise he showed as a prospect, but Cleveland is a place where he could earn some playing time if he proved he could handle the bat against major league pitching. Third base is obviously taken by José Ramírez, but the Guardians had an OPS+ of 63 from the shortstop position last year, and have some options to cover short if Kieboom works his way into the mix for second base reps.
Even if he winds up becoming a short-sided platoon player, Kieboom's season would be a major success if he plays more than a handful of major league games. That process starts in spring training, where he'll try to earn an unlikely spot on the opening day roster.
More MLB: Blue Jays Lose Outfield Prospect to Brewers in Free Agency: Report
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