Matt Kemp

[Warning Track Power]

I will be honest...I'd love to have Matt Kemp on the Brewers. With his comments that he is not a 4th OF, I would have to think that the Dodgers, given the right scenario would be willing to move him if their plan is rotating him, Ethier, Crawford and Puig. Kemp would fill an enormous hole in the Brewers lineup at the cleanup spot come next season when Aramis may or may not be re-signed. While Kemp's salary is large, $21 million per year, having Rickie and Aramis' salary off the books next year would certainly free up some cash.

 

The question for me is do the Brewers have the wherewithal to 1. Make the trade with pieces in the system? and 2. Have the financial flexibility to take on Kemp's deal, 6 years $128 million, provided the Dodgers pitch in say $28 million?

 

A heart of the lineup of Segura, Braun, Kemp, Lucroy, Gomez sure would be nice for the next 3-4 seasons. However, what would the Brewers have to deal to entice the Dodgers? Would a Weeks, Roache, and Thornburg deal work? Would the Dodgers want Nelson and Thornburg? I have no clue what the Dodgers would want for Kemp.

[jerichoholicninja]

That's a lot of money and Kemp has gotten rather over rated since his 1 really good season in which he put up a 147 OPS + (Braun has a career 146 OPS + and Kemps is 126). Kemp will actually be paid more this year than Braun ever will in his current contract.

 

Weeks, Roache, and Thornburg is not even close. The Dodgers are pretty set at every position except 3B and 2B. Weeks does nothing to help them. They might like Ramirez but that seems to negate the point of the trade. Any trade would start with Nelson and probably Thornburg.

 

Logistics not withstanding, where would he play? You can't take Gomez out of CF and I doubt Kemp's pride would let him to accept playing a corner spot.

[logan82]

We need Roache and Thornburg. Roache Is our only power bat in the minors. Thornburg is our 6th starter. Weeks just devalues the return on any trade he is a part of.

[brewcrewdue80]

No to Kemp. Too expensive for this team. Having Kemp and Braun would seem really cool but just recall the sudden injury bug both had last year. That's a big concern for me to tie up that much money in to two players who may be 30-60games miss a season players moving forward due to small nagging injuries. Also, Braun, Gomez and Kemp? Why? after it's been decided to move forward with Davis. Personally, your idea of trading for Kemp because next season all this money come's off Milwaukee's books is sound but that is a year from now. You have to give Davis his shot this year and maybe look in to this idea should he fail around the trade deadline(if we're contenders) or next offseason.

[Warning Track Power]

Kemp may not be available mid season should the Davis experiment fail. Moreover, if K Davis is preventing you from acquiring Kemp, I think you may be seriously overvaluing Davis. I personally think the Dodgers would target Lucroy which would be an obvious nonstarter.

 

Anyways, my MO is the targeting of talent and the targeting of talent when it is relatively inexpensive in terms of what it would cost. Let's say the Dodgers didn't target Lucroy and we're wanting Weeks, Roache and Thornburg OR Nelson for Kemp and $28 million. I think the Brewers would absolutely have to entertain that offer as many here already want Weeks gone, Roache may not be needed with Kemp and Braun signed for the next six seasons and Davis, Haniger and Taylor still as OF prospects when and if Gomez were to leave and many people think Thornburg/Nelson profile as a mid-rotation starter at best. A talent like Kemp's is rarely available and for a package like this, I absolutely think the Brewers would do the deal, especially if it were to cost them "only" 6 years $100 million.

[RockCoCougars]

The problem is that the Dodgers don't really need any pitching. I don't think that prospects have much appeal for them either. If they want something, they can just go out and buy it. They do have some holes in the infield, but I really don't think that a package built around Ramirez and Weeks would get the deal done. I'm sure they'd have interest in Lucroy, Segura or possibly Gomez, but the Brewers would be insane to move any one of those guys in a deal for Kemp. This isn't even considering the money that he's owed.

[PrinceFielderx1]

Considering on how sure DM is of Davis hitting abilities and the fact that he raves about K Davis there's no room or need for Kemp in our OF or need for our line-up.

[igor67]

I don't think there is much point in getting him as an OF, trying to come up with something off the wall and creative only makes sense if you think he can and will convert to 1st base. He might be willing with the injuries. If he is even moderately healthy he projects as a 4 WAR guy compared to the collection of 1 WAR options we have. That is worth quite a bit to us this season, and I'd certainly deal some prospects for that done right I certainly don't think it would hamstring us in the next couple of seasons either.

[jerichoholicninja]

If you're trading for Kemp hoping to turn him into a first basement, you're moving the wrong person. You move Braun to first and put Kemp in right.

[JohnBriggs12]

Davis got downgraded as a prospect due more to his defensive limitations limiting him to a single prime offensive position than anything he showed per se as a hitter since being drafted. He's hit at every level. But they do have an in house alternative in Gindl who's first real look in the big leagues last year was encouraging as well. Gindl to me looked like a youthful version of Matt Stairs.

[endaround]

Kemp has no real positive value in his contract. You do not give up anything of value to take it on.

[nate82]

Kemp has no real positive value in his contract. You do not give up anything of value to take it on.

 

The only way I would trade with the Dodgers for Kemp if it were Weeks, Hellweg, and a low minors guy for Kemp, Alex Castellanos, and Zach Bird. That would offset the salaries for this year and giving the Brewers a utility infielder in Castellanos who can platoon with Gennett.

[brewcrewdue80]

And again the Dodgers signed that Cuban defect to play 2b and also..was it Justin Turner as insurance? Who imo is better than Weeks at this stage. There's just no way Kemp becomes a Brewer in a trade. And I don't want him. I have my wonders about Steroids in his MVP year that somehow he got away with it while Braun was tested positive. Because like Braun, suddenly his body can't hold up to every day play.....PED/being able to play through injury. It's my opinion and sure it can't be proven but...Manny Ramirez? I read the list of Players associated with PEDs and connections occur such as ARod and in my opinion Manny.

So to me there's that, I have the suspicion Kemp's true greatness lies with PEDs. And I believe it was more in the Performance Enhancing but due to the usage and now being off of it his body is weak and breaks down easily. I just don't want another 50 or more game suspension for a guy you would be looking at to be MVP like in the League....besides already being paid like one.

 

Also, I just don't see whom the Brewers can offer to the Dodgers that would entice them to trade with us. Gomez/Braun is a sideways move for both clubs. Your not giving up Segura, and even the idea of Lucroy isn't happening being he's the public's de facto Captain on this team. Pitching? Ha. Any of our Prospects? why and who? Our best are OFs..um something LA doesn't need. There's just no fathomable way a deal for Kemp can happen between our teams.

[HiAndTight]

And again the Dodgers signed that Cuban defect to play 2b and also..was it Justin Turner as insurance? Who imo is better than Weeks at this stage. There's just no way Kemp becomes a Brewer in a trade. And I don't want him. I have my wonders about Steroids in his MVP year that somehow he got away with it while Braun was tested positive. Because like Braun, suddenly his body can't hold up to every day play.....PED/being able to play through injury. It's my opinion and sure it can't be proven but...Manny Ramirez? I read the list of Players associated with PEDs and connections occur such as ARod and in my opinion Manny.

So to me there's that, I have the suspicion Kemp's true greatness lies with PEDs. And I believe it was more in the Performance Enhancing but due to the usage and now being off of it his body is weak and breaks down easily. I just don't want another 50 or more game suspension for a guy you would be looking at to be MVP like in the League....besides already being paid like one.

 

Also, I just don't see whom the Brewers can offer to the Dodgers that would entice them to trade with us. Gomez/Braun is a sideways move for both clubs. Your not giving up Segura, and even the idea of Lucroy isn't happening being he's the public's de facto Captain on this team. Pitching? Ha. Any of our Prospects? why and who? Our best are OFs..um something LA doesn't need. There's just no fathomable way a deal for Kemp can happen between our teams.

 

I don't know how an ankle injury leads you to PEDs, and while too many players have been popped, it's a pretty absurd leap from ankle injury amd playing on the same team with Manny to him being on roids.

 

What's more, the Dodgers have about a half billion dollar OF. My guess is the Brewers could swing such a trade for very little other than the contract. The Dodgers also don't really need anything...anywhere right now.

 

Of courseCB it'd be a huge risk, but the potential upgrade ebof moving Braun to 1st and Kemp to RF could actually make the Brewers a contender and is a risk worth doing.

 

Get him out of Dodgers stadium, his D in RF would likely be very good if healthy, and Brauns at 1st could as well. Could completely fill out this team.

 

But obviously very unlikely to happen (though I hate saying there is no way a player rumored to be traded could be traded to a team lacking a big bat).

[monty57]

I highly doubt it happens, but my first thought is that the Dodgers would target Aramis, as their depth chart shows Juan Uribe as their third baseman. This would take a guaranteed $20MM off the Brewers' books to help offset Kemp's contract, but while bringing in Kemp would be a big upgrade (he'd probably play RF with Braun going back to LF), trading Ramirez would open up a big hole at 3B.

 

But that depends on the market and how big a fuss Kemp causes. If no one's willing to pay up, the Dodgers may trade him for "nothing" to anyone willing to take on his salary. Who knows, maybe they take on Weeks just to alleviate the Brewers' salary hit this season and maybe they take on a so-so prospect or two in return for paying a couple million a year for the remaining years of the contract. It may not be likely, but it's fun to dream of an OF of Braun, Gomez and Kemp.

[TURBO]

If Kemp can be had for what people here are assuming, you can bet there would be teams standing in line with better deals to offer than anything we can put together...

 

It's fun to dream, but the Dodgers aren't going to give him away to the first team to come calling, they surely would shop him around the league and take their best offer, which looking at what we can offer, wouldn't be the Brewers.

[monty57]

If Kemp can be had for what people here are assuming, you can bet there would be teams standing in line with better deals to offer than anything we can put together...

 

It's fun to dream, but the Dodgers aren't going to give him away to the first team to come calling, they surely would shop him around the league and take their best offer, which looking at what we can offer, wouldn't be the Brewers.

 

I agree that it's pretty unlikely that they give him away for "nothing." I only added that because the previous poster mentioned that they might just want someone to take his contract. In my opinion, that would only happen if he really started complaining about the situation and no one else wanted to take on the contract. Pretty unlikely scenario, as with the current deals out there, $21MM a year for a 29-year-old MVP talent isn't that bad a deal.

 

As to whether others could outbid the Brewers, I think they could be a great trading partner if they could afford Kemp's salary and had a backup option for 3B. The Dodgers aren't the type team that worries about piling up the best group of prospects, so the Brewers' lack of a farm isn't really an issue. The Dodgers are looking at winning today and they only look at prospects as trading chips. Their biggest need is a MLB 3B, and if healthy Ramirez would be a big upgrade to their team right now. Plus, they'd have no problem exercising his option, so they'd get two seasons out of him.

 

Assuming both Ramirez and Kemp are healthy, that could be a good deal... if only we had anyone to fill the 3B hole and had the funds to pay Kemp and Braun $40MM a season and still put 23 other players around them.

 

Although this is highly unlikely, would you rather have Kemp, Gomez and Braun in the OF with Reynolds at 3B and Overbay or Francisco at 1B, or would you rather just go with what we've got? I honestly don't know if the upgrade from adding Kemp (a big upgrade over Davis) makes up for the downgrade in the infield. Reynolds is a butcher at 3B and Overbay or Francisco would have to play every day. This would almost mandate yet another move, making it even more unlikely. It also shows how much our season depends on Ramirez being healthy and productive, which is far from a given.

[HiAndTight]

If Kemp can be had for what people here are assuming, you can bet there would be teams standing in line with better deals to offer than anything we can put together...

 

It's fun to dream, but the Dodgers aren't going to give him away to the first team to come calling, they surely would shop him around the league and take their best offer, which looking at what we can offer, wouldn't be the Brewers.

 

I agree that it's pretty unlikely that they give him away for "nothing." I only added that because the previous poster mentioned that they might just want someone to take his contract. In my opinion, that would only happen if he really started complaining about the situation and no one else wanted to take on the contract. Pretty unlikely scenario, as with the current deals out there, $21MM a year for a 29-year-old MVP talent isn't that bad a deal.

 

As to whether others could outbid the Brewers, I think they could be a great trading partner if they could afford Kemp's salary and had a backup option for 3B. The Dodgers aren't the type team that worries about piling up the best group of prospects, so the Brewers' lack of a farm isn't really an issue. The Dodgers are looking at winning today and they only look at prospects as trading chips. Their biggest need is a MLB 3B, and if healthy Ramirez would be a big upgrade to their team right now. Plus, they'd have no problem exercising his option, so they'd get two seasons out of him.

 

Assuming both Ramirez and Kemp are healthy, that could be a good deal... if only we had anyone to fill the 3B hole and had the funds to pay Kemp and Braun $40MM a season and still put 23 other players around them.

 

Although this is highly unlikely, would you rather have Kemp, Gomez and Braun in the OF with Reynolds at 3B and Overbay or Francisco at 1B, or would you rather just go with what we've got? I honestly don't know if the upgrade from adding Kemp (a big upgrade over Davis) makes up for the downgrade in the infield. Reynolds is a butcher at 3B and Overbay or Francisco would have to play every day. This would almost mandate yet another move, making it even more unlikely. It also shows how much our season depends on Ramirez being healthy and productive, which is far from a given.

 

Again, in this scenario why not move Braun to 1st rather than create another hole?

 

And just because he's a 29 year old all atar "talent," doesn't mean the Dodgers wouldn't be happy to be rid of his contact. Saying 29 year old MVP talent is leaving out about 60 pct of the story here. He's their 4th OF'er right now. I don't know what the Dodgers are thinking, but after two seasons cut short amd him having struggled, and the Dodgers massive salaries, I could envision a scenario where there wouldn't be any other teams willing to take on his contract.

[MNBrew]

Braun in the OF = average-to-plus defense. Braun at a corner IF spot has a track record that you don't want to perpetuate.

 

I get the logic of "if it helps us vastly improve another facet of the team" thinking, but I still disagree with the notion of Braun at 1B being anything of a "plus" move.

[HiAndTight]

Braun in the OF = average-to-plus defense. Braun at a corner IF spot has a track record that you don't want to perpetuate.

 

I get the logic of "if it helps us vastly improve another facet of the team" thinking, but I still disagree with the notion of Braun at 1B being anything of a "plus" move.

 

I think that's a ridiculous way to look at it. First of all I'm not buying the argument that Braun in a corner OF spot has ever been "good." At best average. And you can't just say,"hey, corner OF spots, and corner IF spots are equal." RF is tougher than LF, and the comparison between 1st and 3rd is just insane.

 

Braun would very likely be an above average defender at 1st. He's athletic, he wouldn't have to make the long throw to 1st, he'd have far fewer balls hit to him, and the threshold for a good 1st basemen is a helluva lot lower than 3rd. Plus, he showed some remarkable range at 3rd. He just had such a poor arm.

 

And when compared to who we've had there, and who we likely will have there this year, I have no doubt his D would be a significant upgrade, if not early on, then at least after a few months.

 

Of course since Kemp is very unlikely to don a Brewers uni this year, it might be a moot point. Unless of course you believe that Schafer/Gindl represent upgrades to our 1st base situation.

 

Either way, saying that Braun struggled at 3rd and therefore would struggle at 1st merely because it's another corner IF doesn't make sense to me.

[brewcrewdue80]

I don't know how an ankle injury leads you to PEDs, and while too many players have been popped, it's a pretty absurd leap from ankle injury amd playing on the same team with Manny to him being on roids.

 

Kemp played in 399 straight games and then in May 2012 he went down with a "Hamstring injury" at that time he was batting:

.359/.446/.726/ 1.173 12HRs in 34 games 140PAs 118ABs

 

Since then he's accumulated 599 PAs

.276/.328/.436/.764 17HRs and just 16SBs.

 

I just don't like behind the numbers his 2011 season and start to 2012 to me stands out as not the norm. Now he has multiple injuries behind him ankle/hamstring/shoulder joint issue....

 

How is it a good idea to take a guy on being paid to be 2011 who was healthy then who's cressed his prime and should eventually begin his decline? He's not a defensive stalwart. Why can't we go with our own Khris Davis and cheer him on for 525k this year? I'll wager $50 now with anyone Davis hits more HRs than Kemp this year.

[HiAndTight]

I don't know how an ankle injury leads you to PEDs, and while too many players have been popped, it's a pretty absurd leap from ankle injury amd playing on the same team with Manny to him being on roids.

 

Kemp played in 399 straight games and then in May 2012 he went down with a "Hamstring injury" at that time he was batting:

.359/.446/.726/ 1.173 12HRs in 34 games 140PAs 118ABs

 

Since then he's accumulated 599 PAs

.276/.328/.436/.764 17HRs and just 16SBs.

 

I just don't like behind the numbers his 2011 season and start to 2012 to me stands out as not the norm. Now he has multiple injuries behind him ankle/hamstring/shoulder joint issue....

 

How is it a good idea to take a guy on being paid to be 2011 who was healthy then who's cressed his prime and should eventually begin his decline? He's not a defensive stalwart. Why can't we go with our own Khris Davis and cheer him on for 525k this year? I'll wager $50 now with anyone Davis hits more HRs than Kemp this year.

 

 

Yeah, when you're injured, you're not as likely to put up big numbers. I realize we're going on the assumption that everyone's on roids these days, I just don't believe aside from that, you made a very compelling case. Played with Manny, and has gotten injured. Steroids usually take a long time...years of abuse before you start dealing with the soft tissue damage and joint injuries. He's missed most of his time from a shoulder and ankle IIRC. Not that rare in baseball.

 

And I'm not going to wager 50 bucks on who hits more HR's because...It's really not that important to me. Kemp's almost certainly going to be playing in a much bigger stadium and not going to be playing everyday. Not to mention, that's really an awful way to judge which is a better player. Davis can't play anywhere else on the field but in LF because he's so limited defensively. Kemp may not be a "stalwart," but I believe he'd be pretty solid if healthy in RF, and Braun would be a big upgrade at 1st base.

 

At the end of the day, the Brewers aren't going to add 126 million dollars over the next SIX YEARS, and even if the Dodgers were desperate to dump him, we don't have enough bad contracts to give them to make it worth it. And I'd also be worried about his long term production....but it'd certainly make 2014 more interesting.

[jerichoholicninja]

I don't know how an ankle injury leads you to PEDs, and while too many players have been popped, it's a pretty absurd leap from ankle injury amd playing on the same team with Manny to him being on roids.

 

Kemp played in 399 straight games and then in May 2012 he went down with a "Hamstring injury" at that time he was batting:

.359/.446/.726/ 1.173 12HRs in 34 games 140PAs 118ABs

 

Since then he's accumulated 599 PAs

.276/.328/.436/.764 17HRs and just 16SBs.

 

I just don't like behind the numbers his 2011 season and start to 2012 to me stands out as not the norm. Now he has multiple injuries behind him ankle/hamstring/shoulder joint issue....

 

How is it a good idea to take a guy on being paid to be 2011 who was healthy then who's cressed his prime and should eventually begin his decline? He's not a defensive stalwart. Why can't we go with our own Khris Davis and cheer him on for 525k this year? I'll wager $50 now with anyone Davis hits more HRs than Kemp this year.

 

 

Yeah, when you're injured, you're not as likely to put up big numbers. I realize we're going on the assumption that everyone's on roids these days, I just don't believe aside from that, you made a very compelling case. Played with Manny, and has gotten injured. Steroids usually take a long time...years of abuse before you start dealing with the soft tissue damage and joint injuries. He's missed most of his time from a shoulder and ankle IIRC. Not that rare in baseball.

 

And I'm not going to wager 50 bucks on who hits more HR's because...It's really not that important to me. Kemp's almost certainly going to be playing in a much bigger stadium and not going to be playing everyday. Not to mention, that's really an awful way to judge which is a better player. Davis can't play anywhere else on the field but in LF because he's so limited defensively. Kemp may not be a "stalwart," but I believe he'd be pretty solid if healthy in RF, and Braun would be a big upgrade at 1st base.

 

At the end of the day, the Brewers aren't going to add 126 million dollars over the next SIX YEARS, and even if the Dodgers were desperate to dump him, we don't have enough bad contracts to give them to make it worth it. And I'd also be worried about his long term production....but it'd certainly make 2014 more interesting.

 

Or, Kemp just had a year and a half hot streak a la Bill Hall and Casey McGhee and everyone expected that was his norm.

[CheezWizHed]

Does anyone think Kemp and Braun on one team would be a good idea? Let alone, Kemp moving Braun to 1B?

[HiAndTight]

 

Or, Kemp just had a year and a half hot streak a la Bill Hall and Casey McGhee and everyone expected that was his norm.

 

Sure...that's obviously possible.

 

Of course it would be a year and a half of being incredibly hot. His career line prior to last year is 295/.352/.501/.853 in roughly 900 games. .303/.351/.483/.835 in 412 games from ages 22-24. So it's not like he just came out of nowhere prior to the "superstar," years. He was a budding star, played in 162 games where he wasn't very good, then had a year and a two year run in which he played at a Superstar level(missing about 45 games) and was hurt last year.

 

So if anything, I would say that if you want to go back to his expected norm, it'd be closer to ~.290/.350/.485, and he certainly maintained an high level of play longer than Hall and McGehee did combined. And remember, his numbers were put up in Dodger stadium, not in Miller Park.

 

 

 

I think it's just more likely he comes back this year and puts up MVP type numbers again than he becomes a player who just had a couple of "hot streak," type seasons.

 

It's all kinda academic at this point because it's unlikely the two sides are even talking, would even talk, much less agree on a deal that would make it feasible.