Sand Diego Splash: Matt Kemp Dramatically Improves Pad’s Lineup

This morning news came through that the San Diego Padres have acquired Matt Kemp and Tim Federowicz from the Dodgers in exchange for offensively-minded but under-preforming catcher Yasmani Grandal, and pitchers Joe Weiland and Zach Eflin. Sean is going to handle the Dodgers side of this deal but I’ll take a look at it from a Padres’ point of view.

I’ve written a lot about the Pads and first year GM AJ Preller. One of my recommendations for the team was to move Grandal, but this is more return than even I could have hoped for. Kemp has been hurt and has under preformed over the past 2 season but he has the potential to be an MVP type of player. Though aging and suited best for a corner outfield spot, Kemp brings power and a solid on base percentage to the table. He’s not a speedster and has had hamstring problems recently but he’s good for 5-10 steals on top of everything else. Bottom line, he’s a talent that can carry a team. He’s a guy to build around, and, though he’s very very far from a sure thing, he’s a great get for Preller, whose fortunes as a GM are now tied to the success or failure of this big trade.

When I wrote about the Padres in August, I laid out a series of recommendations for the organization going forward. One big one was to find a marketable Face of the Franchise and another was to get over their insistence to avoid in-division trades. Check and Check. By going out and getting Kemp from LA, the Padres have gotten their bill board man, and even better, they swiped him from a division rival.

Let’s take a look at what this does for San Diego on the field. The way I see it, the addition of Kemp pushes Seth Smith out of right field. He’ll likely share time in left with Carlos Quentin but since Quentin is always hurt, that probably won’t be a very big deal. Here’s my take on San Diego’s new and improved lineup:

1. Yangervis Solarte 3b
2. Will Venable CF
3. Matt Kemp RF
4. Jedd Gyorko 2b
5. Yonder Alonso 1b
6. Seth Smith LF
7. Clint Barmes Ss
8. Rene Rivera C

So. Hmm. There are definitely still holes. This lineup can’t yet hang with the Giants, Dodgers, or Diamondbacks in the division. But the Padres strength is most other teams’ weakness: depth. The Pads have capable bench palyers at a whole bunch of poisitions. That lineup above doesn’t include Quentin, Cameron Maybin, or Tommy Medica, who will all see significant playing time. Also, Hunter Renfroe is a top Padres prospect who could push his way into the outfield this year, and Rhymer Liriano will also get some play.

Moreover, the Padres aren’t built to win on the strength of their offense; it’s their pitching that will take them where they want to go. Andrew Cashner (who may be moved, we’ll see), Ian Kennedy, All-Star Tyson Ross, and the rest of the staff will carry this team. The issue last year was that the offense was so historically atrocious (at least for the first half) that the Padres could have had the best staff in baseball and it wouldn’t have mattered.

Obviously, the Padres’ pitching isn’t the Dodgers’ pitching. And one trade won’t provide the full refresh that this lineup needs, but adding Kemp for Grandal, who had fallen out of favor with management and was less popular with pitchers than Rene Rivera, is a really solid move for San Diego. Let’s see what else they’ve got.

-Max Frankel