The Nationals would have interest in acquiring Matt Kemp should the Dodgers make him available in a trade, a baseball source tells Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post.
According to Kilgore, the team’s potential interest in Kemp and other free agent outfielders indicates that the club is looking at a creative solution should the club fail to re-sign Adam Dunn this winter.
Kemp’s star faded a bit this season, as he compiled a disappointing .249/.310/.450 batting line to go along with 28 homers and 89 RBI. The 26-year-old was an above average defender in center field in 2009 according to UZR (Ultimate Zone Rating), but his -24.3 UZR this season ranked last among qualified outfielders. He was also just 19-for-34 (56 percent) in stolen base attempts, which is actually worse than Nyjer Morgan’s success rate.
Kemp avoided arbitration by signing a two-year, $10.95 million contract with the Dodgers in January, so he is still owed $6.95 million in 2011 and remains under team control through the 2012 season.
Amid the drama of his 2010 campaign, Kemp’s agent Dave Stewart indicated to Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times that a trade could be a good idea for his client. Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti told Buster Olney of ESPN.com last week that he is not looking to trade Kemp, but would listen to offers. Kemp still has the potential to be one of the better all-around players int the league, so the Nationals won’t be only team calling.
