Here’s the latest from Ken Rosenthal, via a video for FOX Sports:
- The Red Sox and Mariners have inquired about Matt Kemp, but the Dodgers are unlikely to trade him, and trade talks did not go far. Kemp has hit well in the past week, with a .320/.414/.440 line in 29 plate appearances since the All-Star break.
- In fact, as Rosenthal notes (via Twitter), the Dodgers are not close to a deal of any kind.
- Asdrubal Cabrera has value on the trade market because of the lack of middle infield talent available, and it’s possible the Indians could deal him for starting pitching — either veterans or young players. The impending arrival of Francisco Lindor (who was recently promoted to Triple-A Columbus) could make dealing Cabrera a bit easier for Cleveland.
Really, really, reallllly hope the Sox stay away from Kemp.
The Dodgers would have to pay about 50 million to make that deal palatable.
Even then I am not sure I’d do it. They’d have to eat a ton of money, and the Sox give up little in terms of prospects.
They’re not exactly in a position to deal what with the contract and their glut of outfielders. He wouldn’t be bad in left next year. You’re probably looking a .280 with 15-20 hrs 30 doubles and 15 sb. If the Dodgers eat enough to make it 11-12 million a year it would work.
The fact that the Mariners and the Red Sox have asked but gotten nowhere is evidence of the error in this analysis.
His -0.3 WAR says otherwise.
Yes, that one stat explains everything.
Of course it doesn’t explain everything, but it starts to paint a picture. Generally, people who have a negative WAR aren’t very good. Just a heads up.
Not really. I will never understand the focus some fans have on this one black box stat. No team trades on that basis. It will never explain anything about what a team does or will do to build a roster.
Yeah it does. If you ask many GMs they do specifically pay attention to WAR (both bWAR and fWAR) and also pay attention to other stats as well.
You have to figure they’re going to want to trade someone eventually, and Kemp will receive the most interest between Ethier, Kemp and Crawford. The contract is still an albatross and there’s no way another team will take it on. And even after you move one of the extra pieces you still have to find a spot for Pederson. It may happen in the off season, but it still will. Kemp may eventually be worth more, but there is no way another team would pay him 22 million a season.
It’s all academic because of the three, Kemp is clearly the most valuable on this roster. His contract is a meaningless factor in deciding who they should keep and who they can trade. A lot of people don’t seem to get that, which I suppose is why they are constantly bringing up how much he is paid.
Sure, he’s the most valuable on your roster, which means he would be the player the most valuable to someone else. He has value, Ethier and Crawford less so. The Dodgers need to move someone, and they have most likely tried to move one of the others with no success. The contracts are only important in it makes Kemp very hard to move, but Ethier and Crawford impossible. It has nothing to do with if they move him or not, but it seems that regardless of that, they are still trying.
At a discount, anyone can be moved, What you seem to be forgetting is that the Dodgers are in first place and not in rebuilding mode. A move that doesn’t improve the team now makes no sense. Over the last year we’ve heard rumors that the Dodgers are trying to move almost everybody. At some point the rumors should be treated as meaningless chatter, and basic baseball logic reintroduced to the discussion.
Clearly most valuable is part of the reason why the Kemp rumors have popped up. He is more valuable than Ethier or Crawford, but that contract makes it hard to trade him. It is not meaningless because if it were quite a few small market teams (Royals being one) wouldn’t mind to have him then. The contract and Pederson is one of the reasons the Dodgers want him out. Crawford, Ethier, and Kemp are way overpaid to all play like league average (at most) outfielders. Scott Van Slyke has been more valuable than everyone not named Puig combined this year in the outfield.
Any player can be successfully traded if the team holding his contract is prepared to make up the difference between his contract cost and his current value. The only impediment to trading him is the willingness of the team to do that.
Sox would still have Daniel Nava and he’s a liability in right. There’s only room for him in left if Mike Carp and Gomes are gone. Even then, we still have Brock Holt who I prefer play 3rd while Xander develops at short. Then there’s Middlebrooks who has been practicing in the outfield, most likely in left.
No need for Matt Kemp.
None of the players you have named are better hitters than Matt Kemp.
Daniel Nava is the better player against righties. Matt Kemp isn’t worth anywhere near what he’s being paid, even if the Dodgers were to pay some of his contract. Matt Kemp is broken and he’ll never be the same player he once was. Same non throwing shoulder ruined Adrian Gonzalez’s power and it did the same thing to Matt Kemp.
I’ll take Middlebrooks right handed power and Daniel Nava’s ability to prolong AB’s over Matt Kemp.
You’ll have to take Middlebrooks’ .197 batting average too then, because you cannot separate the two. He has the potential to be a good hitter, but even without power Kemp is still a better hitter than Middlebrooks is right now. And while you’re at it you can have Nava’s .375 slugging percentage against righties. You can try and pick and choose the parts of a hitter you want, but it doesn’t work that way. Taken as a whole, even with 15 hr a year power, Kemp is a better player than Middlebrooks and Nava right now. Middlebrooks might reach his potential at some point, but he’s not there yet, and he isn’t an outfielder.
Oh man, slugging percentage. I care more about OPS than I do slugging percentage. Obviously Kemp is a better hitter than Middlebrooks but for a .270 hitter with reverse splits this year being paid how much more than Middlebrooks? I rather platoon Nava with Middlebrooks or even Mookie Betts (Better option)than have Kemp. He’s not fit for CF and he for sure is not fit for RF. There’s no room for Kemp. Nava has no where to go but 1st and LF, Middlebrooks has no room in the infield, Mookie Betts has no room in the infield unless Brock Holt moves to the outfield and if he does, again, no room for Kemp. And yes, Middlebrooks has been practicing in the outfield in Pawtucket so he’s most likely going to be an outfielder if he plans to stick with the Red Sox.
So do most Dodgers fans. He is the first or second the most productive RH bat in the lineup at the moment. The Dodgers have zero motivation to trade him.
Yeah, what’s the point in Kemp? He’ll be cheaper in the off season. They ought to flip some guys for Pederson though.
Also not going to happen.
I’m getting tired of the Sox-Kemp talk. We need to improve the outfield defense, not make it worse.
If it meant being able to bring up Joc its time to shop one or more of the 3 outfielders to get some middle relief or a starter. Puig being untouched of course.
Leaving the Dodgers with three LH outfields who can’t hit LHP?
Too bad they can’t trade Crawford and his horrible contract. It would make things a lot easier.
Crawford is the most expendable so he is the one I’d expect the Dodgers to be prepared to take the biggest bath to get off the roster.
Puig has a 128 wRC+ against LH this year and a 157 wRC+ for his career.
Dodgers no matter what they do should try to fix the log jam in the OF. Why not just trade ethier for anything. Then either bring up joc or mix and match and have skyle and puig man CF
Van Slyke and Ethier are a great platoon together, Van Slyke can and does hit lefties and Ethier does well against Righties. The best plan would be to move both Crawford and Kemp and have Pederson play, but also trading away either CC or MK would allow Pederson the time to develop in the majors. One way or another this logjam will be gone soon.
Sad part is the Dodgers have no one who can man CF well (Pederson doesn’t appear to a better option) and even with Pederson he may have issues with LHP like Ethier. I do have to say that I am going to backtrack a little and say trading both CC and MK would be worse than just trading one because JP may have those issues with LHP.
Oh the Sox want Kemp hmm? Yeah that’s lovely…
I have wanted the Pirates to make a run at Asdrubal for 3 years now, and this could finally be the time if they are going to give Lindor a legit shot. I like Jordy Mercer…a lot actually, but I think Cabrera is an upgrade moving forward. Especially if he turns out to be cost effective in acquiring and signing long term.
I don’t know what Lindor has to do with trading Cabrara.
I saw Lindor at Akron at least 10 times, and he has a number of things to work on. His throws are often errant, he has trouble getting the all in the air as a hitter. But mostly, I don’t know why the Indians would start his clock at this point in the season and give up a year of control. My guess is that he needs to remain in Columbus for at least the first few months of 2015.
Cabrara is like a politician you see in another state and like. When you watch him up close you see more then just limited defense, you see a player that does not remain focused very often, drops easy DP throws from his 2B, makes dumb plays in the field, on the basepaths, and swings at bad pitchers at the beginning of an at bat killing rallies. As for his hitting, he had a couple of good first halves of the season a few years ago and established a rep with people that do not keep tabs as some sort of terrific hitting SS. He might be passable as a 2B.
In short, Mr. Cabrera is high maintenance.
I know it’s far fetched, but why not trade Doubront and Middlebrooks for that okay infielder Seager and Paco Rodriguez. That’ll solve some of the problems on both sides.
That solves absolutely nothing for the Dodgers.
Hahaha incredibly accurate.