In 2014, the Padres had the worst offense in baseball, and it was not even close. San Diego ranked last in MLB in the following offensive categories:
- Runs Scored
- Runs Batted In
- Hits
- Batting Average
- On-Base Percentage
- Slugging Percentage
- Doubles
There’s more, but that paints a pretty good picture. When the Padres hired A.J. Preller in August, he knew he had a major offensive rebuilding project on his hands. This is a nice way to start.
Sometime between Wednesday night and Thursday morning, the Padres and Dodgers agreed to the biggest trade of the 2014 MLB Winter Meetings. San Diego is sending catcher Yasmani Grandal, right-handed pitcher Joe Wieland, and minor league starting pitcher Zach Eflin to the Dodgers for All-Star outfielder Matt Kemp and catcher Tim Federowicz, plus about $31 million.
Kemp provides an immediate and MASSIVE improvement for the Padres offense. In 2014, Grandal led the Padres with 15 home runs and Jedd Gyorko led the team with 51 runs batted in. Kemp alone had 17 home runs and 54 runs batted in.
AFTER THE ALL-STAR BREAK.
The 2011 National League MVP (yes, I took it away from Ryan Braun in my head) battled hamstring, ankle and shoulder injuries the last few years, but his big second half coincided with a clean bill of health. Kemp turned 30 in September and has another five years on his contract, so Preller got an impact power hitter who’s still in his prime and under financial control for the near future, a combination the Padres have not had since Adrian Gonzalez arrived in 2006. The Friars are really only on the hook for about $75 million for Kemp over five years, still the largest financial commitment the franchise has ever made.
Now, if there’s a concern (other than the injury history), it’s that Kemp came from a situation where he had guys like Gonzalez, Dee Gordon, Hanley Ramirez and Yasiel Puig around him in the lineup. He won’t have that kind of help at Petco Park, so unless Preller is able to add another respected hitter, something he is still trying to do, it’s likely Kemp will lead the league in walks.
The Dodgers had a logjam in their outfield with Puig, Andre Ethier and Carl Crawford all getting paid big bucks, so Kemp became the odd man out. Los Angeles needed offensive help behind the plate, so they coveted Grandal, who became expendable when Rene Rivera emerged as the best catcher on the roster and one of the best defensive backstops in all of baseball. Federowicz will provide depth until top prospect Austin Hedges is ready for The Show, which should not take more than another year or two.
The Dodgers also fill a need in acquiring Wieland, who is a good fit as a long relief pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery. Los Angeles has had trouble getting from their front-line starting pitchers to closer Kenley Jansen.
The deal is not yet official because the players involved need to take physicals and the Commissioner’s office has to give final approval due to the large amount of money trading hands. But, when it is finalized, the Padres are a whole lot better than they were on Tuesday, and Preller has already ingratiated himself to Padres fans.
