Dodgers and Braves Make Trade in Hot Tub Time Machine

[homer]

I literally had to look at this three times to make sure it happened today and not in 2008.

 

 

The Los Angeles Dodgers today acquired outfielder Matt Kemp from the Atlanta Braves in exchange for Adrián González, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, Charlie Culberson and cash considerations.

[MadThinker88]

Whoa....

 

I was right with you on needing to recheck the dates...

[liveforoctober]

Adrian Gonzalez immediately designated for assignment.

[MadThinker88]

more from MLBTR:

 

A source close to Rosenthal tells him that Kemp is likely to be released by the Dodgers (Twitter link).

[endaround]

I guess this is do to the Dodgers avoiding the tax hit somehow, but it is weird. Mostly because McCarthy pitched relatively well last year, given in reduced innings.

 

Maybe the Dodgers are freeing up space for Arrieta or Darvish?

[adambr2]

I don't think this is motivated by Arrieta or Darvish. I think the Dodgers are just trying to get under the luxury tax threshold so they can stop paying the 50% overage penalties that they keep paying every year as repeat offenders.

[LouisEly]

Dodgers clear a net $30M from their payroll. Excluding arb raises, they are now at $155M committed for 2018.

 

Braves needed another starter and get two injury-risk ones and a utility player for $30M in contracts. Hopefully they got a bunch of cash from the Dodgers to do this, otherwise it's not a good deal on their end.

[JosephC]

This sucks. I was hoping the Brewers could trade for Ryu but with McCarthy and Kazmir gone the Dodgers can likely fit him into their rotation (Kershaw, Hill, Maeda, Wood, Ryu) and have Buehler and Stewart as the insurance policies. Hopefully the Dodgers will turn around now and sign Darvish, which could push Ryu back out of the rotation.

[bill hAll Star]

This sucks. I was hoping the Brewers could trade for Ryu but with McCarthy and Kazmir gone the Dodgers can likely fit him into their rotation (Kershaw, Hill, Maeda, Wood, Ryu) and have Buehler and Stewart as the insurance policies. Hopefully the Dodgers will turn around now and sign Darvish, which could push Ryu back out of the rotation.

 

I don’t think they would given that would put them back in the luxury tax zone. Where they just got out of.