The Atlanta Braves traded Hector Olivera to the San Diego Padres for Matt Kemp, according to multiple reports. The deal is pending physicals for both players.
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Sources: Padres sending $10-12 million to Braves in the Kemp-Olivera trade.
It seems like Kemp has been in the league forever, but at just 31 years old he should have a handful of prime years left.
Kemp previously signed an eight-hour deal worth $160 million with the Dodgers before the 2012 season kicked off. He expects a $21.5 million salary this year and would also receive the same amount in each of upcoming seasons.
Aside from giving the Braves a much needed offensive boost- Kemp has 23 HR and 69 RBI through 100 games this season- the addition of Matt Kemp means much, much more.
Olivera, a high-profile global signing by the Los Angeles Dodgers before being traded to Atlanta last summer, played just 30 games in a Braves uniform, hitting.245/.296/.378 before being suspended 82 games for violating Major League Baseball’s domestic violence policy. The trade is the latest among a series of deals the Padres have made in the past two months as they move to rebuild.
In 30 games over the last two seasons with the Braves, Olivera hit. 285 OBP and. 489 slugging percentage.
He isn’t even close to being the player he was when he won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards in 2009 and again in 2011 while manning center field for the Dodgers. 324 and led the National League in homers (39) and RBIs (126) and finished second in the NL MVP balloting behind Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun. Against lefthanders, Kemp has a. 333 (31-for-93) average this season. They will reportedly designate Olivera for assignment, meaning he might never play for the Padres.
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OUR TAKE: The Padres are unloading players and the Braves badly need more power.
