The Los Angeles Dodgers did something last season they hadn’t in nearly three decades, as they defeated the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series to advance to their first World Series since 1988.
They ultimately were not able to reach their final goal though, as they were defeated by the Houston Astros in an all-time classic seven-game series. One person who was watching the series from home was Matt Kemp, who was drafted by the Dodgers in 2003 and spent his first nine big league season in the organization.
Kemp was traded to the San Diego Padres before the 2015 season in what was president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman’s first big move. Kemp then spent the last three seasons with the Padres and Atlanta Braves and in a surprise trade this past offseason, wound up back with the Dodgers.
That expected to be short-lived, as the club was said to be shopping the 33-year-old outfielder that didn’t appear to fit well within their roster.
But Kemp is in camp with the Dodgers this spring, and he candidly admitted to being envious and motivated by watching the organization that drafted him play in the World Series, via Dylan Hernandez of the L.A. Times:
“Absolutely, why wouldn’t it be?” he said. “I wanted to be here. I came up as a Dodger. I wanted to win a World Series as a Dodger. They always talked about bringing a World Series to L.A. That’s something that I wanted to do. That’s something I worked hard to try to do. I didn’t get to it. They got close. Why wouldn’t I want to be a part of that?
“I just wanted to be a part of it. I can’t say I wasn’t a little bit jealous.”
The reason for trading for Kemp during offseason was financially-based and to get get below the luxury tax threshold. Though the Dodgers made it clear they planned to quickly move Kemp, he appears more and more likely to be with the club on Opening Day.
He’s hit well thus far in Cactus League play and been serviceable in left field. Should those trends continue, Kemp could form a platoon of sorts with Andrew Toles or someone of the like, and help the Dodgers overcome last season’s heartbreak.
