For the first time in his 11-season MLB career, Matt Kemp is on his way out of Southern California.
According to a report by David O’Brien of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Saturday, Kemp has been traded by the San Diego Padres to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for third baseman/outfielder Hector Olivera. The deal comes a year to the day after the Braves acquired Olivera from the Los Angeles Dodgers (coincidentally, Kemp’s former team).
#Braves and #Padres have completed the Olivera-for-Kemp deal, pending physicals. Exactly 1 yr after Braves traded for Olivera from Dodgers.
— David O'Brien (@DOBrienAJC) July 30, 2016
The 32-year-old Kemp had batted .262/.285/.489 with 23 home runs and 69 RBIs in 100 games for San Diego this season. The Padres had been trying to move the two-time All-Star for several months now, and Atlanta was mentioned as a team with interest earlier in the day on Saturday. Kemp is in Year 5 of an eight-year, $160 million contract that will run until he’s 35. Though still an impact bat, Kemp’s age and his liability on defense make his deal a particularly damning one.
But the Padres were able to dump the Kemp millstone by absorbing another similarly bad contract in Olivera’s. The 31-year-old Cuban has only played in six games this year thanks to a domestic violence suspension. Olivera hasn’t looked particularly capable at the Major League level either and also dealt with a torn UCL in his elbow last season. He is in Year 2 of a six-year, $62.5 million deal that will also pay him until the age of 35.
In the end, the two teams are swapping baggage for baggage in the hopes that a change of scenery will benefit both guys. We’ll just have to wait and see if the gamble pays off for either side, if any.
