clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Dodgers fielding calls on Matt Kemp

The Dodgers are continuing to field calls on outfielder Matt Kemp, who could be a great fit with several teams.

Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

As talks of a Matt Kemp for Yasmani Grandal trade continue to heat up, the Dodgers are still drawing plenty of interest from other teams as well, according to Jon Morosi of Fox Sports. Morosi lists the Rangers, Orioles, and Mariners as teams that have joined the Padres in the pursuit of Kemp.

Kemp is coming off a bounce back season in 2014, as he appeared in 150 games for the first time since 2011. For the 2014 season, Kemp posted a .287/.346/.506 slash line, along with 25 home runs. This followed up back-to-back injury plagued seasons in 2012 and 2013, which limited Kemp to a total of just 739 plate appearances over those two seasons.

The Dodgers have a surplus of outfielders, as well as a surplus of pricey outfield contracts.They entered the offseason with plans of potentially moving at least one of Kemp, Carl Crawford, and Andre Ethier, with Kemp being the most appealing to other clubs. Kemp will make $107 million over the next five years, while Crawford is set to make over $62 million through 2017, and Ethier locked in at $56 million over the next three years, with a club option worth $17.5 million in 2018. Although Kemp is the most expensive, he's also the safest bet for production.

As many teams have checked in on Braves outfielder Justin Upton, the Dodgers find themselves fielding similar calls. The Mariners have been linked to Upton, but it appears the Braves have a high asking price. Kemp could prove to be an intriguing alternative. Even though Kemp's salary is so high, the Mariners might prefer five years of Kemp, as opposed to giving up top prospects for just one year of Upton.

The Texas Rangers are another team that has been linked to both Upton and Kemp, as they lost Alex Rios to free agency, as well as recently missing out on free agent target Torii Hunter. The Orioles find themselves in a similar spot as the Rangers, as they watched free agents Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis head elsewhere this week.