Why the New York Yankees Should Trade for L.A. Dodgers Matt Kemp
August 12, 2011 · Joseph Browne · Jump to comments
Article Source: Bleacher Report - New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are always a hot topic. Love them or hate them, there is typically something interesting going on in Yankeedom, something that is worthy of discussion regardless of where your loyalties may lie.
It is the most successful franchise in all of sports in the only categories that ultimately matter, championships and revenue. They have the most of both, and in the short term, there doesn’t seem to be much that can get in the way of them maintaining their grip on leader status in either category.
They are poised this year to make the playoffs for the 16th year out of 17, so in other words, they are in the hunt for another title and the pursuit of said title will bring them additional revenues from television, merchandise, etc. Again, the short term looks pretty darn good.
These are the Yankees, though, so short term success is not the goal. They are truly an empire in many ways, planning for the future while ensuring success in the present.
Despite this being the case, in perhaps three years time at most, let’s call it 2014, so we have a reference, they will be facing a combination of realities that could spell tremendous trouble.
Specifically, they will be replacing on a full time basis their Hall of Fame shortstop, Derek Jeter, and they will more than likely be needing to supplement the reduced abilities of a 39-year-old Alex Rodriguez.
Additionally, they will more than likely be beating the bushes for a closer, as Mariano Rivera is likely to have either hung up his spikes by this point or, at the very least, unless he truly is blessed by a higher power, be somewhat less than he is today.
It cannot be forgotten that in addition to these developments, by 2014 we’ll also find pitcher C.C. Sabathia, RF Nick Swisher, CF Curtis Granderson and 1B Mark Teixeira approaching their mid-30s and 2B Robinson Cano, C Russell Martin and LF Brett Gardner well entrenched in their early 30s.
If you’re not keeping score at home, let’s lay it out nice and clear. The 2014 Yankees will be old, very old.
Of the present starting eight, presuming all stay with the team (not likely in the cases of Swisher and Martin), there will not be one member of the under-30 club and two primary players, Jeter and Rivera, may not even still be playing ball.
For a franchise that prides itself on always being at the top of the pyramid, things are not looking so rosy for the Yankees in the not too distant future.
This is why the Yankees, above all else, need to make a strong play for the Dodger’s Matt Kemp, who is doing everything possible to insert himself into the season’s MVP discussion for the National League.
This begs the simple question of how, exactly, do you pry away such a prize from an organization that needs to be competitive to retain its status as a first-tier franchise.
Despite not having won a championship for quite some time, Los Angeles remains a huge market for Major League Baseball, and the powers that be do not want to see any kind of diminishment along those lines.
With bankruptcy proceedings for the Dodgers franchise already underway, even the slightest appearance that they might be going the way of the garage sale would hurt the gate and also undermine merchandising returns.
The Yankees, though, have the ability to provide Los Angeles with very high quality in return for Kemp. Going against tradition, the Yankees, in their farm system and on the major league level, have a number of high-upside pitching talents.
Ivan Nova, Hector Noesi, Dellin Betances, Manny Banuelos, Adam Warren, Phil Hughes and Andrew Brackman are all no older than 26 years old, and they have all demonstrated to varying degrees that they are worthy of consideration as top or middle of the rotation-type talents.
In the cases of Hughes and Nova, there is a track record of big-league success to point to, and Hughes, despite his troubles this year, remains a valuable asset now that his velocity has appeared to return.
In the cases of Betances and Banuelos, each is considered amongst the top pitching prospects in all of baseball.
On the offensive side of the equation, the Yankees are not quite as stacked but do have several very appealing options to offer Los Angeles. Jesus Montero, Gary Sanchez and Austin Romine are all top-tier catching prospects, and then there is speedy OF Slade Heathcott, who some consider to be a potential five-tool player.
Additionally, the Yankees have assets such as SS Eduardo Nunez and OF/IB Nick Swisher under control at the big league level who would appeal. Nunez, especially, with his power arm and bat, would be a nice addition to any ballclub.
This translates into the Yankees having the ability to offer a truly robust package for Matt Kemp without necessarily emptying the pantry, so to speak.
The Dodgers have needs, on the field and off, one of which is to avoid finding themselves in a situation where they have to pay Matt Kemp big money at the end of this season when his contract is up.
Kemp can legitimately ask for $20 million or more per year, and the Dodgers cannot go long term when that kind of money is on the table due, again, to the bankruptcy issues they are now facing.
While there are any number of player combinations that make sense in a Matt Kemp to the Yankees trade, the one combination that makes the most sense for both clubs is Montero, Romine, Hughes and one more pitching prospect from the group of Noesi, Brackman, Warren, Betances and Banuelos in exchange for Kemp and perhaps a player to be named.
The Yankees would not part with both Banuelos and Betances in the same deal for any return, however if one of the two has to be sacrificed to bring in a player of Kemp’s pedigree then it’s a call the Yankees should make.
The Dodger’s would be getting a catcher in Romine who is better than any option currently on their MLB roster, and in Montero they would be getting a 21-year-old hitter that some have compared to Miguel Cabrera of the Detroit Tigers.
Montero could slot in very nicely at first for the Dodgers and James Loney, their current first baseman, could be moved to a corner outfield position or used in a secondary trade.
Loney is a reliable bat, and has had some good years, but Montero is projected as a .300, 30HR, 100-plus RBI type from the moment he hits the league.
In addition to the Cabrera comparison, some have suggested that Montero is a better all-around hitter than National’s phenom Bryce Harper.
With Romine and Montero going to Los Angeles, along with two quality arms, the Dodgers would be cutting payroll dramatically and improving their overall team for the foreseeable future.
The Yankees, by comparison, would be getting younger and better on the offensive side of the ball while retaining enough pitching prospects to fill out their rotation over the next several years.
In addition, with Kemp shifting over to right field the Yankees would essentially have three center fielders in their outfield. It’s a trade that’s fair for both teams as each team addresses multiple needs in one transaction.
And for Yankees fans, it would be a sign that the club has made effective strides to begin to overcome the cruel effects of time.
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