Twins Trade Rumors: Minnesota in on Matt Kemp?
Now before we go getting all sorts of crazy, yes, the Minnesota Twins will be sellers at this years trade deadline. However, with the 2014 Major League Baseball trade deadline only nine days away, shakeups are sure to take place. The Los Angeles Dodgers have been reported to want to move Matt Kemp badly, and the Twins may make sense.
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Danny Knobler is reporting that the Dodgers are not only trying to move Matt Kemp, but they want to extremely badly.
Heard Mets trying hard to move Bartolo Colon, which isn’t exactly a surprise. Also no surprise: Dodgers trying hard to move Kemp.
— Danny Knobler (@DannyKnobler) July 22, 2014
The Dodgers have a problem with Kemp still in their organization. Since his stellar 2011 season, Kemp has been in a downward spiral. Also, with the Dodgers having Andre Either, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford, and Scott Van Slyke on the 25 man roster, along with Joc Pederson knocking on the door (.327 avg, 19 HRs through 84 games at Triple-A), their outfield is crowded.
Currently, Kemp is signed on an 8 year, $160 million contract through 2019. Obviously, that is a contract the Twins have no interest in. That being said, the Dodgers are motivated to deal.
Couple the fact that Matt Kemp is just over a month away from 30, on a downward spiral, and has a contract the Dodgers may be willing to eat to move him, he presents an intriguing option for the Twins.
The Minnesota Twins are looking at a potential outfield of Aaron Hicks, Byron Buxton, and Oswaldo Arcia next year. Unless Hicks significantly figures things out for the Twins, he is nothing more than the replacement level talent that has run out to left field this year.
Should the Dodgers be open to the aforementioned idea of eating much of Kemp’s contract, and his price point be at a logical spot (say Eddie Rosario or Jorge Polanco), the Twins could find an opportunity to take advantage of a situation.
With all this being said, caution to remember that the initial paragraph stated the Twins will be sellers at the deadline. For any deal like this to happen for the Twins, it would need to fall into their lap. Considering the desperation the Dodgers seem to be showing though, something crazy could happen.