The Los Angeles Dodgers made a bit of a surprising trade this offseason when they sent Yasiel Puig, Matt Kemp, Alex Wood and Kyle Farmer to the Cincinnati Reds.
Kemp’s tenure in Cincinnati did not last long though as he has already been released by the Reds after suffering a fracture in his ribs.
A couple weeks later and dor the fifth time in less than five seasons, Kemp reportedly has found a new home. Despite cries from some Dodgers fans to bring him back as a right-handed reserve outfielder when he was released by the Reds, Kemp will not be returning for his third stint in Dodger blue.
Rather, he will join the New York Mets on a Minor League contract, per Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
Sources: Matt Kemp to #Mets on minor-league deal.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) May 24, 2019
Kemp was drafted by the Dodgers in 2003 and spent his first nine Major League seasons in Los Angeles. He became the primary center fielder of the team that won back-to-back National League West titles in 2008 and 2009, then finished as the NL MVP runner-up in 2011, controversially losing to Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers.
Injuries slowed him the next couple of seasons before he re-emerged on the 2014 Dodgers team that won 94 games and another NL West title. However, Kemp clashed with teammates that year, most notably Puig, and was dealt after the season to the San Diego Padres in the winter.
He spent the next three years with the Padres and Atlanta Braves as his performance dipped into mediocrity. The Dodgers shockingly re-acquired Kemp before the 2018 season, and Kemp responded with a career resurgence, making his first All-Star team since 2012 and playing in his first World Series.
Kemp owns a career .285/.337/.485 slash line with a 121 OPS+. He had posted a meager .200 batting average and .493 on-base plus slugging percentage over 20 games this season with the Reds.
One of the few highlights of Kemp’s time with the Reds came when he laced a go-ahead RBI single off ex-teammate and friend Kenley Jansen on Jackie Robinson Day, only for Joc Pederson to win the game for the Dodgers with a two-run walk-off home run.
The Dodgers are set to host the Mets for a three-game series beginning on Monday, but with Kemp signing a Minor League deal, it is unlikely that he will be on the Major League roster in time for that series.
