In an effort to get beneath the $197 million luxury tax threshold, the Los Angeles Dodgers successfully unloaded the contracts of Adrian Gonzalez, Scott Kazmir and Brandon McCarthy to the Atlanta Braves, and in exchange, reacquired Matt Kemp.
The return of Kemp to the organization was surprising to say the least, given that he was traded just three years ago by Andrew Friedman in one of his first significant moves as president of baseball operations.
Kemp, now 33 years old, is coming off an injury-plagued season with the Braves that limited him to just 115 games. But after a long offseason, the two-time All-Star believes he still has plenty to contribute that will help push the Dodgers over the top, via Ken Gurnick of MLB.com:
“I’ve still got a lot of baseball in me,” said Kemp. “I can help this team win. Feel strong, ready to go. I’m older, but I’ve got a lot to offer, a lot of knowledge. Nobody really knows what their role is, but I’m here to win. I know I can be in this lineup, can help us win, prove to everybody I can still play defense. We all got something to prove every year. It’s a fresh start. Why not do it back where I started?”
At the time of the trade, the general assumption was that the Dodgers would look to flip Kemp to an American League team rather than keep him, where he would be better suited as a designated hitter.
That’s proven to be difficult thus far, as teams have been reluctant to take on the majority of Kemp’s remaining $43.5 million salary over the next two seasons.
Kemp is said to have lost 40 pounds this offseason and was one of many position players to report to Camelback Ranch early. He cleared the air on previous comments made that inferred Los Angeles wasn’t a baseball town.
That being said, it’s looking more likely that Kemp will stick with the Dodgers through Spring Training, where he’ll have an opportunity to compete for a starting role in left field.
He’s part of a crowded mix that includes the likes of Kiké Hernandez, Joc Pederson, Trayce Thompson, Andrew Toles and Alex Verdugo, who are all vying for 25-man roster spots as well.
