Matt Kata

Matthew John Kata is a professional baseball player from the United States of America and plays as a utility player. A graduate from the St. Ignatius High School, Kata graduated to go on to attend Vanderbilt University. In 1999, Kata graduated and declared for the 1999 MLB Draft.

Kata was picked in the 9th round by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Rising through the minor leagues, Kata went on to make his debut at the Majors in 2003. Injuries to major players led to the promotion of a number of “baby backs”, as they were called, that included the likes of Robby Hammock, Alex Cintron and Brandon Webb, along with Kata. The season ended in a win for the Diamondbacks, mostly due to the contributions of the baby backs.

In 2006, Kata was signed by the Texas Rangers after a brief spell with the Philadelphia Phillies. The contract, one for the minor leagues, was gradually transferred into an invite to Spring Training which was followed by a spot on the MLB Roster at the start of the 2007 season. After 31 games with just a .186 batting average, Kata was designated for assignment, especially after a few of their players came back from the disabled list.

Kata decided to sign with the Pittsburgh Pirates in a minor league contract but by the end of the season, he was a free agent after his contract expired. In December of 2007, Kata signed with the Colorado Rockies on a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. However, when he didn’t make the team, Kata decided to turn to free agency.

In 2008, Kata again signed with the Pirates on a minor league contract and on becoming a free agent at the end of the season, decided to sign with the Houston Astros in the minor league. In 2008, he was called up to the Major League roster and batted at .242 in 645 at-bats.