Official 2016 Los Angeles Dodgers Thread : Game on

So we were all right. Someone did come back home

 

WTF is the point of this trade

 

Luxury tax reasons
Also we get a decent righty bat so yeah, it works out lol

 

May not be over yet

 

Will he play first base though? Otherwise I don’t see how Kemp gets PT. He’s still a solid right hand bat with power and decent against LHP.

 

Hmmmmmmm

 

Stanton shouldve just waited a week

 

nm they arent even keepin matty

bout time the nerds woke up

 

Saw this on ESPN, what the hell for? OF crowded as is. Getting rid of the contracts a year early makes sense though, the time to make moves is now.

Still need a right handed SP...

 

Kemp DFA or flipped?

If he stays, can we bring back Dre for cheap...?

 

Nostalgia on fleek. What's hideo nomo up to these days?

 

All aboard the Harper hypetrain

 

Where are Russell and James at now...?

 

Is Chad Billingsley still alive? Brad Penny?

 

lol nostalgic freals

 

Broxton

 

Howling lol

 

Broxton was nice when he was on his A game.

 

Aren’t we still paying Kemp?

 

dis a joke righ

 

Gagne on HGH>>>>>>>>>Blownsaveston

 

never seen a dude wet himself more than broxton

 

hell yeah!

 

comments from the nerds sounds like kemp aint stayin

 

http://www.espn.com/blog/keith-law/insider/post?id=7966

Spoiler

I was sitting in a waiting room when my phone buzzed and I saw the subject line of an email from the Los Angeles Dodgers' PR department, which read, "DODGERS ACQUIRE KEMP IN FIVE-PLAYER TRADE." For the life of me, I couldn't imagine how Tony Kemp ended up the lead name in a five-player trade. Of course, it was Matt Kemp, former Dodger, Padre and most recently Albatross, who heads back to the Dodgers on paper -- I doubt he ever suits up for them -- in a deal of contracts and luxury-tax avoidance that sent three players who are all free agents after 2018 to Atlanta along with utility infielder Charlie Culberson.

The Dodgers get under the luxury tax threshold for 2018 in this deal, moving $51.53 million in 2018 commitments to Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon McCarthy and Scott Kazmir over to the Atlanta Braves, taking on the $43.5 million owed to Kemp over the next two seasons in exchange. The Dodgers are sending some cash in the trade, with some reports saying it will make the two teams' cash payouts equal.

Kemp was less than worthless last year -- worthless would imply he was worth zero, I think, and he was actually worse than that, thanks to a .318 OBP and atrocious defense in left. I often describe players as having effortless defense as a term of praise; Kemp's defense is effortless in the sense that he puts no effort into it. He's just 32, but over the past three years he has posted a .269/.310/.470 line that would make him essentially an average regular at DH in the American League, where the thirteen players who played at least half their games as designated hitters in 2017 (minimum 400 PA) posted an aggregate .246/.316/.434 line. I don't see Kemp as worth adding, even if the Dodgers are paying his whole salary, given the average-at-best ceiling and lack of any defensive value or flexibility; the AL teams with openings at DH would all be better served giving those at bats to younger players or using the spot to rest some of their regulars at other positions.

Atlanta gets to move up that massive financial commitment to Kemp into 2018, so that they can go into the next offseason -- the one that's loaded with high-end free agents, starring Manny Machado, Bryce Harper and possibly Clayton Kershaw -- but three of the players they got back at least have some potential value for the team as well. Atlanta has already designated Adrian Gonzalez for assignment; he was well below replacement level in a half-season of play last year, got wallypipped by Cody Bellinger, and may be as finished as Kemp is.

Brandon McCarthy had Tommy John surgery after just four starts as a Dodger in 2015, so 2017 was his first effective year in blue, and he pitched well for about a half-season, with a 3.98 ERA/3.28 FIP in 92 innings, made worse by the fact that all five homers he allowed came with men on base (contrary to the results of the rest of his career). While Atlanta can't count on him for 30 starts, he does give them some quality in a rotation that's otherwise quite young and inexperienced after Julio Teheran, and could allow the team to move Mike Foltynewicz or Lucas Sims to the bullpen, or ensure Max Fried starts the year in Triple-A.


Lefty Scott Kazmir hasn't pitched since 2016 and threw only one inning that year after August 22nd, missing all of 2017 with a hip injury that never required surgery but kept his velocity in the lower 80s. Anything Atlanta gets out of him this year is a bonus, but if he is recovered enough to pitch, even in a limited role, he would help their staff now. Like McCarthy, he might also potentially provide value as a rental trade in July.

Culberson is the one player Atlanta got back in the deal who isn't a free agent after 2018. In a perfect world, he's a Triple-A player who is just an emergency call-up, a right-handed bat who can fill in at short, second or third, but isn't enough of a defender or hitter to play every day. I still believe Dansby Swanson will become a solid big-league hitter, but if he struggles to even make hard contact again this year and the team demotes him, Culberson could back up Ozzie Albies in the majors instead.

Looking at his slash line, I assumed Kemp got some of his groove back in ATL. But of course his defense/effort has always been questionable. Grand opening grand closing, thank you for your few days back in blue Matt.