Kemp, 30, hit .287 with 25 home runs last season in a crowded outfield that included Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig and and Carl Crawford. He was second in the MVP balloting to Ryan Braun of the Brewers in 2011 with 39 home runs, 40 steals and 126 RBIs. Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Outfielder Matt Kemp is finally headed to the San Diego Padres.
A five-player trade was first reported a week earlier, and the Padres will complete the deal to acquire Kemp from the Los Angeles Dodgers, multiple media outlets reported Thursday night.
Earlier Thursday, reports surfaced that the trade was not completed because the Padres’ physical exam found Kemp has arthritis in both hips. Multiple media outlets reported that San Diego asked the Dodgers for additional compensation due to the risk of Kemp missing future action due to the pre-existing condition, but ultimately the deal got the green light in its initial form.
The Dodgers agreed to ship Kemp to the Padres along with more than $30 million of his remaining $107 million salary in exchange for catcher Yasmani Grandal, right-hander Joe Wieland and minor league right-hander Zach Eflin. San Diego also will receive catcher Tim Federowicz in the deal.
Kemp, 30, hit .287 with 25 home runs last season in a crowded outfield that included Andre Ethier, Yasiel Puig and Carl Crawford. He was second in the MVP balloting to Ryan Braun of the Brewers in 2011 with 39 home runs, 40 steals and 126 RBIs.
While the Kemp deal was on hold, the Padres pulled the trigger Wednesday on a separate three-team trade to bring in Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Wil Myers.
San Diego also agreed to a trade Thursday that will bring in All-Star catcher Derek Norris from the Oakland A’s, and the Padres reportedly agreed to a one-year contract with free agent right-hander Josh Johnson.
New Dodgers team president Andrew Friedman was busy in his first winter meetings, and the Kemp deal was his 10th trade in two months on the job. Since then, the team designated reliever Brian Wilson for assignment, which will cost the Dodgers $9.5 million in 2015.
Eflin is due to be part of a trade package headed from the Dodgers to the Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for shortstop Jimmy Rollins.
