5 Forgotten Chicago Cubs who are still playing Major League Baseball

2. Tony Kemp, Oakland Athletics

To say the least, Kemp's time with the Cubs was abysmal and forgettable. After playing for the Houston Astros for three-and-a-half seasons and earning a World Series ring, Kemp was traded to Chicago at the deadline for catcher Martin Maldonado. In 82 plate appearances, Kemp batted .183/.258/.305 with a lone homer. Disappointment fueled the termination of his Houston tenure as well.

Although the speedy second baseman and outfielder hit a career-high seven home runs in 2019, Kemp slashed .227/.308/.417 over 163 at-bats. During his brief time in Chicago, Cubs fans may remember when Kemp steadfastly pleaded that he was not involved with the Astros' sign-stealing scandal during their 2017 World Series run. Kemp said that he was asked if he wanted to be part of the scheme when he was called up but chose not to participate. Before the 2020 season, Kemp was shipped to the Oakland Athletics for minor league first baseman Alfonso Rivas. According to Fan Graphs, Kemp had the lowest exit velocity of all major league batters, at 84.4 mph, and the lowest percentage of hard-hit balls, at 14.9 percent in 2022.