The Los Angeles Dodgers have been looking to trade away one of their outfielders due to their current glut and the San Diego Padres have made an offer for slugger Matt Kemp.
Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports is reporting that the Padres have emerged as the most likely destination for Kemp. San Diego is offering first baseman Yasmani Grandal and one other player to the Dodgers in exchange for Kemp.
The San Diego #Padres looming as the most likely destination for #Dodgers Matt Kemp, offering Yasmany Grandal and one other player to LA
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) December 8, 2014
Los Angeles dealt with a problem of having too many outfielders last season as manager Don Mattingly was stuck finding playing time for Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier. The Dodgers are looking to relieve some of the stress by parting with one of the outfielders, while it wasn't believed they'd trade Puig.
Kemp, 30, who is due to make $21 million in 2014-15 and is under contract through 2019, has spent his whole nine-year career in L.A.
Kemp has dealt with injury issues in his career, but had a strong 2014 season where he appeared in 150 games and slashed .287/.346/.506 while adding a .852 OPS, 25 homers and 89 RBI. It was the first time since the 2011 campaign that Kemp managed to play more than 150 games.
Grandal, 26, slashed .225/.327/.401 last season through 128 games in his third MLB campaign and isn't eligible for arbitration until 2016.
While it seems dangerous for the Dodgers to trade Kemp within the division, it appears as though the Padres nonetheless are the favorite to land the outfielder.
The Dodgers won the NL West last season with a 94-68 record before dropping the NLDS to the St. Louis Cardinals in four games while the Padres placed third in the division with a 77-85 record.
Kemp is a lifetime .292/.349/.495 hitter with 182 homers and 648 RBI and is a two-time MLB All-Star.
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