Kevin Newman of the Cincinnati Reds throws the ball to first base against the Miami Marlins at Great American Ball Park on Aug. 07, 2023 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Newman signed with the Arizona Diamondbacks for 2024. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
By Matthew Tallarini
World Baseball Network
Infielder Kevin Newman signed a minor league contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks for the 2024 season and is invited to spring training, Steve Gilbert, the Diamondbacks beat writer for MLB.com reported on Wednesday.
Newman, 30, was born in Poway, Calif., and has played six seasons in Major League Baseball, appearing with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2018-22 and the Cincinnati Reds in 2023.
Newman was drafted by the Pirates as the 19th overall pick in the 2015 MLB June Amateur Draft out of the University of Arizona and signed after his junior season on June 15, 2015.
Last season, Newman split his time between the Reds and Triple-A Louisville. He played in 74 games with the Reds, hitting .253 over 253 plate appearances with 57 hits, 16 doubles, three home runs, 28 RBI, eight stolen bases, 17 walks, 34 strikeouts, and a .675 OPS. Newman landed on the 10-day injured list with gastritis on July 14, 2023, and was activated on July 24, 2023, returning to the Reds.
Newman was in a part-time role with the Reds during the 2023 season, with young infielders such as Matt McLain, Spencer Steer, and Elly De La Cruz getting most of their at-bats for Cincinnati.
With Triple-A Louisville, Newman played 11 games, batting .211 with 44 plate appearances and eight hits, three RBI, five walks, and eight strikeouts before he released on Sept. 27.
In 2022, Newman played with the Pirates and Triple-A Indianapolis. Newman played in 78 games with the Pirates and batted .274 with 79 hits, 18 doubles, two triples, two home runs, 24 RBI, eight stolen bases, 16 walks, 48 strikeouts, and a .688 OPS.
Newman played in 13 games with Triple-A Indianapolis, batting .396 with 19 hits, three doubles, six RBI, three walks, and six strikeouts. Pittsburgh traded him to the Reds on Nov. 18, 2022 for right-handed pitcher Dauri Moreta.
Newman played his last full season in MLB in 2021 season with the Pirates, appearing in 148 games and batting .226 over 554 plate appearances with 117 hits, 22 doubles, three triples, five home runs, 39 RBI, 27 walks, 41 strikeouts and a .574 OPS.
During his MLB career, Newman has played in 505 games in six seasons with a lifetime average of .259. In 1,916 plate appearances, he has 459 hits, 83 doubles, 11 triples, 23 home runs, 171 RBI, 38 stolen bases, 104 walks, 229 strikeouts, and a .662 OPS.
The 2023 National League champions return infielders Jordan Lawler, Geraldo Perdomo, Emmanuel Rivera, and Ketel Marte, and have added Eugenio Suarez for 2024. Newman is competing for a backup role on the Diamondbacks roster with Jace Peterson going into spring training.
The Diamondbacks will play their first game of spring training as the away team on February 23 against the Colorado Rockies at Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Ariz at 3:10 p.m. EST. The Salt River Fields at Talking Stick is the spring training home to both the Diamondbacks and the Rockies.