The San Diego Padres are reportedly in talks with the Los Angeles Dodgers to acquire former All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp. Ken Rosenthal over at Fox Sports is indicating that discussions may surround young Padres infielder Yasmani Grandal.
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
This seems to be an odd fit for both sides. Los Angeles usually isn’t in the game of trading proven talent for youngsters. Meanwhile, that’s been the Padres MO over the seasons. This doesn’t even take into account the fact that these two Southern California teams are division rivals.
Other parts would likely head to Los Angeles in this deal, especially if the Dodgers are going to pick up a large chunk of Kemp’s contract moving forward.
The 30-year-old Kemp has seen his production dip from a 2011 campaign that saw him lead the Majors in homers (39) and RBI (126) while hitting a robust .324. He still hit a solid .285 with 25 homers and nearly 90 RBI this past season.
Talent isn’t an issue as it relates to the Dodgers finding a trade partner for Kemp. The problem here is that he’s owed over $107 million over the course of the next four seasons.
As it relates to Grandal, he’s seen as one of the top young hitters in baseball. The 26-year-old Cuban tagged 15 homers, but hit just .225 this past season. He split time between catcher (76 games) and first base (37 games). The youngster would also be a great fit for a Dodgers team that’s looking to upgrade offensively at catcher from A.J. Ellis, who hit just .191 with a .323 on-base percentage in 2014.
We will keep you updated as more information becomes available.
Photo: Fox Sports