We’ve heard his name linked to potential trades for Miguel Cabrera, Erik Bedard, and Johan Santana, but if we’re to believe Ned Colletti’s current stated position, Matt Kemp won’t be going anywhere.
"I don’t have any interest in trading Matt Kemp," general manager Ned Colletti said after new center fielder Andruw Jones was introduced to the media on Wednesday.
Kemp has the potential to be a middle of the order force, and seeing as he’s only 23 years old, he could fulfill that role for many years to come. Dishing him as the centerpiece of a Cabrera, Bedard, or Santana deal would have made a degree of sense, but he was oftentimes mentioned alongside names like Clayton Kershaw and Jonathan Broxton.
This means the Dodgers plan to go into the season with Andruw Jones, Andre Ethier, and Juan Pierre as outfielders in addition to Kemp. Clearly, taking Pierre out of the starting lineup is the smart and logical move — Kemp and Ethier project better at the corners, with Jones in center. But the $36.5 million left in his contract probably keeps him in the starting eight.
–Joe
