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Dodger Blue > Dodgers News > Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Expects Matt Kemp To Be Improved Defensively
Dodgers NewsSpring Training

Dodgers News: Dave Roberts Expects Matt Kemp To Be Improved Defensively

Matt Borelli
February 16, 2018
2 Min Read
Richard Mackson-USA TODAY Sports
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While it was a relatively quiet offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the club still pulled off one of the more surprising trades of the winter with the reacquisition of Matt Kemp from the Atlanta Braves.

Kemp previously spent nine seasons with the Dodgers from 2006-14 before he was traded to the San Diego Padres in one of Andrew Friedman’s first significant moves as president of baseball operations.

The 33-year-old reported to Camelback Ranch on Tuesday morning and joins the likes of Kiké Hernandez, Joc Pederson, Trayce Thompson, Andrew Toles and Alex Verdugo all vying for playing time in left field this season.

Now that he’s back in the fold, manager Dave Roberts is optimistic that Kemp will improve on defense this year, citing his weight loss and added motivation for playing on a team with championship aspirations, via Bill Plunkett of the Southern California News Group:

#Dodgers Dave Roberts said he expects Matt Kemp’s defense to be improved with Kemp in better shape, on a winning team: “I expect it to be a big uptick in metrics this year”

— Bill Plunkett (@billplunkettocr) February 13, 2018

Last season with the Braves, Kemp was statistically the worst defensive outfielder in all of baseball by many metrics. Logging 851.2 innings in left field, he posted a -13.7 UZR/150 and cost his team 17 runs, per DRS.

The Dodgers, however, can optimize Kemp’s experience in the outfield with their reliance on shifts and defensive replacements in the late innings.

While his glove work is less certain, there’s no question that Kemp can still be productive with his bat. He slugged 23 doubles and 19 home runs in just 115 games last season — many of them while battling injuries.

The possibility of Kemp being traded before Opening Day can’t be ruled out either. Though, it will be difficult to convince another team to pick up the majority of his two-year commitment, worth $43.5 million.

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TAGGED:2018 Spring TrainingDave RobertsLos Angeles DodgersMatt Kemp
ByMatt Borelli
Matt Borelli covers the Los Angeles Dodgers as a staff writer for Dodger Blue and holds similar responsibilities for Lakers Nation, a sister site with an emphasis on the Los Angeles Lakers. He also contributes to RamsNewswire.com and RaidersNewswire.com. An avid fantasy sports player, Matt is a former 2014 MLB Beat the Streak co-champion. His favorite Dodgers moment, among a list of many, is Clayton Kershaw's no-hitter against the Colorado Rockies in 2014. Follow him on Twitter: @mcborelli.
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