Matt Kemp Rumors: 5 teams interested in Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder
Matt Kemp‘s time with the Los Angeles Dodgers could be winding to a close with the MLB trade deadline nearing closer at July 31 and his agent believes that change will do the former All-Star center fielder well.
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“Eight years is a long time to be in one place,” Kemp’s agent Dave Stewart, the former star pitcher, tells CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman by phone. “Sometimes change is good. This might be the time to change.”
Don Mattingly has had to manage five outfielders with three spots over the last season and a half and Kemp would appear to be the odd man out and he’s ready to move on so that he can be an everyday player once again and try to get back to the player he was when he was an MVP candidate.
According to Heyman, five teams have expressed interest in Kemp or at the very least have talked to the Dodgers and explored the idea of acquiring him.
Of those five, the Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Texas Rangers have been identified as teams pondering a move for Kemp who should have won the 2011 NL MVP and two mystery teams exist, one of them in the NL, according to Heyman.
Kemp is still just 29 years old but injuries have taken their toll and he is not the same player he was only three years ago which makes the acquiring team is taking a big gamble that he can justify the $117 million remaining on his contract 2019.
Sometimes a simple change of scenery is all it takes to fix things and it would appear that Kemp will get his wish soon.