The Dodgers outfielder that may find a new home this winter may not be Carl Crawford or Andre Ethier – it could be Matt Kemp. Interest in Kemp is high this offseason, and the Padres have now jumped into the fray for Kemp.
Sources: #Dodgers continue to discuss trade of Kemp to #Padres. Grandal likely would be in package going to LAD, and SD would get $ in deal.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 4, 2014
#Dodgers talking Kemp with other teams as well. Deal with #Padres not necessarily more likely than it is with other clubs.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 4, 2014
The 30-year old Kemp mostly stayed healthy and productive in 2014, playing in 150 games for the Dodgers and hitting .287/.346/.506 with 25 homers and eight stolen bases.
While that’s all well and good, Kemp’s defensive metrics were somewhere between below average and awful in all three outfield spots, and he’s due a total of $108.25 million over the next five years. Needless to say, that’s a hefty chunk of change, and is a lot for a team to take on – especially a smaller market club like the Padres.
Grandal is 26, and is a tough nut to crack. He’s played in just 216 career games in the majors, missing time because of a PED suspension, an oblique strain, and a major knee surgery. He’s hit .245/.350/.412 with 24 homers over his career, but his future behind the plate is a question because of his suspect defense. He’s not arbitration-eligible until after the 2015 season, and is under team control through 2017.
There are plenty of questions about this deal, and if it goes down, it won’t be just Kemp and cash for Grandal – additional pieces will be involved. As for the identity of those pieces? Well, that’s anyone’s best guess.
