Could Matt Kemp Be The Odd Man Out In Los Angeles?

In 2003, the Dodgers drafted 18-year old outfielder Matt Kemp out of Midwest City, Oklahoma in the sixth round of the Major League Baseball Draft. Kemp was groomed to be the next great Dodgers player and by 2006 he was ready for the big club.

Kemp quickly adjusted to the show and by 2008 he became the Dodgers everyday center fielder as he batted .290 with 18 home runs and 76 runs batted in. In 2011 Kemp made his first National League All-Star team. That season Kemp led the N.L. in home runs (39), and runs batted in (126) while also swiping 40 bases. However Kemp would be robbed by the Baseball Writers of America who would award the National League MVP in 2011 to Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun.

After the season with a new ownership group in place led by Magic Johnson and Stan Kasten, the Dodgers gave Kemp an eight-year, $160 million extension. But since Kemp inked the new deal in Los Angeles he has been hampered by injuries. In the past two seasons Kemp only appeared in 179 games. Where Kemp hit 39 home runs in 2011, he combined to only hit 29 in the past two seasons.

Kemp missed the first five games of this season as he was recovering from an ankle injury, but his biggest problem right now is the depth in the Dodgers outfield. When Kemp inked his big deal with the Dodgers he was expected to be the centerpiece of their lineup, but things have drastically changed there.

The Dodgers currently have four All-Star caliber outfielders in Kemp, Carl Crawford, Andre Ethier, and Yasiel Puig. Crawford is the Dodgers everyday left fielder while Puig is entrenched in right field which mainly leaves Kemp battling for playing time in center field with Ethier. The silver lining for Kemp was that the Dodgers recently placed Crawford on the disabled list with an ankle injury. Kemp returned to the starting lineup last night, but he started in left field as opposed to his customary spot in center. Prior to last night Kemp only had a pair of at-bats in the previous five games. Kemp has not had a multi-hit game this month as he is consistently looking over his shoulder to see when Dodgers manager Don Mattingly is going to yank him out of the lineup. For the season Kemp is batting .255 with 5 homers and 13 runs batted in. It is also tough for Kemp to show up to the ballpark each day not knowing whether he will even be in the Dodgers starting lineup.

Kemp has expressed his frustration to the Dodgers who are looking to have him play more in left field due to the fact that they feel that the 29-year old has lost a step in center. A healthy Kemp is not a part-time player and he needs to be on a team where he can showcase his skills on a daily basis. And right now Dodger Stadium is not the place for him to do that which means that Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti needs to field some calls about possibly trading Kemp. After this season Kemp still has five years and $86 million left on his contract. Although the Dodgers would eat some of the remaining money on Kemp’s contract, would another baseball team be willing to take a run at him?

The Toronto Blue Jays woke up this morning with a three-game lead in the American League East. The Blue Jays have one of the most potent offenses in baseball this season, but they could also use an upgrade in center field. If the price is right would Blue Jays general manager Alex Anthopoulos take a run at Kemp?

You cannot have a conversation about spending in baseball without acknowledging the New York Yankees. The Yanks went crazy in the off-season as they opened the vault to sign outfielder/designated hitter Carlos Beltran, outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, catcher Brian McCann, and starting pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. As always the Yankees are near the top of the payroll list in Major League Baseball as the $203 million that they are shelling out this season is second only to the Dodgers.

Ellsbury is and will be the Yankees starting center fielder to the foreseeable future, but they do have a need in right field. Current Yankees right fielder Ichiro Suzuki is 40-years of age and with his contract set to come off of the board at the end of the season, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman will be in hunt for a new right fielder. The Yankees don’t have a deep farm system right now, but they are a team that could easily absorb the remaining money on Kemp’s deal.

After missing the playoffs last season the Yankees are currently in second place in the American League East and they are desperate to get back to the postseason due to the fact that mediocrity is not accepted in the Bronx.

After losing center fielder Jacoby Ellsbury in free agency over the winter, the Boston Red Sox have been searching for answers in their outfield. Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington took a flyer on outfielder Grady Sizemore who has a .224 batting average with a pair of home runs and 14 runs batted in 40 games this season. The Red Sox are hopeful the their young center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. can get it going while they also have Mookie Betts who is emerging as one of their top prospects.

The Red Sox just ended a 10-game losing streak which is tied for the second longest losing streak by a defending World Series Champion. Cherington and the Red Sox are hopeful to get things turned around this season and they desperately need another bat in their lineup. The Red Sox current payroll of $162 million is the fourth highest in baseball, but they are team that has the financial resources to take on a good portion of Kemp’s contract without having to give some of their top prospects like Betts to the Dodgers.

In the past few seasons the Detroit Tigers have been as close as a team could be to winning the World Series, but they have been unable to claim their first title since 1984. The Tigers are a drastically different team from what they were last season. Longtime Tigers manager Jim Leyland has retired and first baseman Prince Fielder was traded to the Texas Rangers in exchange for second baseman Ian Kinsler. Detroit has become a faster team, but is Tigers general manager Dave Dombrowski getting tired of Austin Jackson in center field for the Tigers? After starting the season strong, Jackson’s production has declined as he
is currently only batting .256 with 3 homers and 17 runs batted in.

The elephant in the room would be Kemp’s contract. The Tigers currently have the fifth highest payroll in baseball and they are expected to be in a bidding war this off-season in order to retain the services of the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner in starting pitcher Max Scherzer which would make it tough for them to go after Kemp, but the time to win in Detroit is now.

In 2013, the Chicago White Sox suffered through their worst season in nearly 25 years. The South Siders have rebounded so far this season with a record of 28-27 which is good enough for second place in the American League Central. The White Sox are also only 1.5 games behind the Yankees for the final playoff spot in the AL.

In the past few seasons White Sox president Kenny Williams has been in the process of dumping salary while also trying to get his squad younger. The White Sox began the season with a payroll of $91 million which is 20th in Major League Baseball. The White Sox are a team that could absorb Kemp’s contract and they also have a need in center field. If the White Sox are to be a serious contender this season, Williams should consider bringing Kemp to the Windy City.

Seattle Mariners general manager Jack Zduriencik was busy last off-season trying to get his club back to the postseason for the first time since 2001. It took $240 million over the next decade to lure second baseman Robinson Cano away from the Yankees, but he is only one piece to the puzzle. Cano is hitting .327 on the season, but he has only hit a pair of home runs due to the lack of protection that he has around him. The Mariners find themselves in fourth place in the AL West and for them to make a legitimate run at the playoffs, Zduriencik must put some more protection around Cano which is a void that Kemp can fill.

It isn’t a huge secret that the New Mets are a laughing stock. The Mets have not had a winning season since 2008 and 2006 was their last playoff appearance. The Mets entered this season with the 22nd lowest payroll in MLB and their play reflects that as they are currently in fourth place in a very weak National League East. Mets third baseman David Wright along with second baseman Daniel Murphy have fought the good fight, but these two players cannot do it by themselves.

The penny pinching Met owners in Fred and Jeff Wilpon have cut every corner possible in shedding payroll which reflects in the team’s attendance as the Mets are 17th in the category. The fan base and organization alike need something to help turn things around. Even if the cheap Wilpons were to take on “some” of Kemp’s contract it would still be a shot in the arm for this desperate organization.

After winning the World Series in 2011, the St. Louis Cardinals parted with first baseman Albert Pujols. Over the past two seasons the Cardinals attempted to remedy Pujols’ absence in the lineup with veteran outfielders such as Lance Berkman and Carlos Beltran. This formula helped the Cardinals win the NL Pennant last year, but for them to get back to the World Series and win it they will need a little extra boost.

Cardinals left fielder Matt Holliday has had a dip in his power numbers as he had only hit two home runs this season. After a slow start this season Cardinals right fielder Allen Craig is getting it going at the plate where he has upped his average to .249 to go along with 5 home runs and 27 runs batted in. Holliday is 34-years old and he is under contract with the Cardinals through 2017 while Craig is 29-years of age and he is not scheduled to be a free agent until 2018.

Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina is 31-years of age and he has emerged as one of the best all-around catchers in the game.

A motivated Kemp could be the missing piece for the Cardinals in center field to help them once again win the World Series.

For the first time since 1992, the Pittsburgh Pirates got a taste of the postseason last year and they are finding that the road back there in 2014 is tough to navigate. The Pirates are currently 8 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the National League Central. In the off-season the Pirates lost first baseman Justin Morneau and outfielder Marlon Byrd to free agency. Both Morneau and Byrd provided protection to the reigning NL MVP in Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen in 2013 which is something that he is lacking this season. 

McCutchen is the unanimous choice to be the Pirates starting center fielder, but would Kemp be willing to move to right field? If so then Kemp could play every day while giving the Pirates two MVP candidates in the outfield.

At $78 million the Pirates have the 27th lowest payroll in baseball. With Kemp, Pirates general manager Neal Huntington could have a championship team on his hands and the time to strike is now while the iron is hot.

Overall the Dodgers are dealing with an unhappy player in Kemp. Historically unhappy players are unproductive players which Kemp has been this season. Colletti should not take this matter lightly as Kemp’s unhappiness could spill over to the rest of the Dodgers clubhouse.