The MLB winter meetings have been heating up over the past few days and trades have been moving a bit with names like Logan Morrison and Justin Ruggiano, while bigger names like Matt Kemp, David Price, Cliff Lee and Chris Sale have been bouncing around and there is a chance that the Dodgers, Phillies, Rays and White Sox will deal their star pitchers.
According to ESPN.com, Kemp's agent said that the Dodgers are not trading him, but all reports this week point to the fact that the team was shopping him and teams like the Detroit Tigers, Seattle Mariners and Boston Red Sox all showed interest in the star. Those teams along with the Texas Rangers also have shown interest in Price and he likely is the player that will get moved eventually, as the Rays can't afford to keep him past these next two seasons when he is a free agent. Price will have a high "price" tag on him and that could scare teams, but SI.com proposes that a crazy deal for Kemp and Price straight up could work, but with the Rays not wanting to take big money, that likely will not be going down ever.
Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels reportedly are on the block and while teams have called about Chris Sale, the White Sox are not biting. There hasn't been a big deal yet at the winter meetings on the magnitude of Robinson Cano, who will be introduced in Seattle on Thursday after signing his huge deal, but if Price moves that would be a massive trade for whoever gets him. Price is a Cy Young winner and has controllable years coming up, but reports said that he would not sign an extension if he was traded to the Mariners.
Kemp comes into the winter meetings banged up from the past two seasons, but before that, according to SI.com, he averaged over 150 games from 2008 to 2011 and teams are hoping he can get back to that durability and he also played in 399 straight games at one point. He had a near MVP season in 2011, but last season he played in just 73 games and hit six home runs after having 23 homers in 106 games in 2012 and now he will try and get healthy for 2013 and it appears that he will be on the Dodgers despite all the rumors.
Kemp is 29 years old and still has years ahead of him, but with his injures popping up, the Dodgers have to be a bit worried and with a ton of money in Zack Greinke, Adrian Gonzalez and Carl Crawford with Clayton Kershaw looking at a huge contract coming, the team just may not have the room to keep an injured outfielder at that price. This deal probably won't happen, but hey, it's fun to speculate.
