Matt Kemp wants to be the Dodgers’ center fielder or he’s open to being traded

By Jul 17, 2014, 10:15 AM EDT
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Matt Kemp wants to be the Dodgers’ starting center fielder again and if they aren’t willing to grant him that request he’s open to a trade, agent Dave Stewart revealed to Ken Rosenthal of FOXSports.com.

Here’s an exact quote from Stewart, just for proper context:

Whatever they want to do we’re favorable to, as long as it gives him an opportunity to play every day. He’d like to eventually go back to center field. He’s not opposed to right or left. But his hope at some point is to get back to center.

Certainly nowhere near a trade request–and the rest of Rosenthal’s article pushing the potential trade angle is actually quote-free–but there’s absolutely zero indication that the Dodgers have any plans to move Kemp back to center field, so if that’s going to be a sticking point in the future the issue will come to a head eventually.

Kemp hasn’t started a game in center field since mid-May, when manager Don Mattingly determined that the 29-year-old’s defense is no longer suitable for the position. He’s hit decently in 42 games as a left fielder, batting .279 with three homers and a .751 OPS, but Kemp’s defense there has hardly screamed “this guy is still probably a really good center fielder!”

Kemp is making $21 million this season and is owned another $21 million in 2015 followed by $21.5 million per season from 2016-2019. He signed the eight-year, $160 million contract extension in November of 2011, after finishing runner-up in the MVP balloting to Ryan Braun. That year he hit .324 with a .986 OPS, but since signing the deal he’s hit .283 with an .811 OPS while missing 156 of a possible 421 games.

New bill to build Athletics stadium on Las Vegas Strip caps Nevada’s cost at $380 million

Associated PressMay 27, 2023, 12:14 PM EDT
D. Ross Cameron-USA TODAY Sports
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CARSON CITY, Nev. — A bill introduced in the Nevada Legislature would give the Oakland Athletics up to $380 million for a potential 30,000 seat, $1.5 billion retractable roof stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

The bulk of the public funding would come from $180 million in transferable tax credits from the state and $120 million in county bonds, which can vary based on interest rate returns. Clark County also would contribute $25 million in credit toward infrastructure costs.

The A’s have been looking for a home to replace Oakland Coliseum, where the team has played since arriving from Kansas City for the 1968 season. The team had sought to build a stadium in Fremont, San Jose and finally the Oakland waterfront, all ideas that never materialized.

The plan in the Nevada Legislature won’t directly raise taxes. It can move forward with a simply majority vote in the Senate and Assembly. Lawmakers have a little more than a week to consider the proposal before they adjourn June 5, though it could be voted on if a special session is called.

The Athletics have agreed to use land on the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip, where the Tropicana Las Vegas casino resort sits. Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao has said he is disappointed the team didn’t negotiate with Oakland as a “true partner.”

Las Vegas would be the fourth home for a franchise that started as the Philadelphia Athletics from 1901-54. It would become the smallest TV market in Major League Baseball and the smallest market to be home to three major professional sports franchises.

The team and Las Vegas are hoping to draw from the nearly 40 million tourists who visit the city annually to help fill the stadium. The 30,000-seat capacity would make it the smallest MLB stadium.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said a vote on the Oakland Athletics’ prospective move to Las Vegas could take place when owners meet June 13-15 in New York.

The plan faces an uncertain path in the Nevada Legislature. Democratic leaders said financing bills, including for the A’s, may not go through if Republican Gov. Joe Lombardo vetoes the five budget bills, which he has threatened to do as many of his priorities have stalled or faded in the Democratic-controlled Legislature.

Under the bill, the Clark County Board of Commissioners would create a homelessness prevention and assistance fund along the stadium’s area in coordination with MLB and the Nevada Resort Association. There, they would manage funds for services, including emergency rental and utility assistance, job training, rehabilitation and counseling services for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.

The lease agreement with the Las Vegas Stadium Authority would be up for renewal after 30 years.

Nevada’s legislative leadership is reviewing the proposal, Democratic state Assembly Speaker Steve Yeager said in a statement.

“No commitment will be made until we have both evaluated the official proposal and received input from interested parties, including impacted community members,” Yeager said.