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Dodgers, Matt Kemp Agree to Long-Term Contract
The Dodgers will announced in a press conference at Dodger Stadium at 11 a.m. this morning of an eight-year contract agreement with their All-Star centerfielder Matt Kemp. While rumored for over a week, the deal is worth a reported $160 million making it the largest deal done in the history of the National League and seventh-largest in Major League Baseball.
Kemp had a career season chasing the batting triple crown but ultimately coming up .013 points shy in batting average behind the New York Mets' Jose Reyes (.337) and Milwaukee Brewers' Ryan Braun (.332). Kemp led the National League with 39 home runs and 126 runs batted in and is vying for the NL MVP award which will be announced on Tuesday.
Kemp is coming off a two-year, $10.95 million deal and had one more arbitration year available before hitting the free agent market. In other words, the Dodgers had control of Kemp's rights for one more year before he could test the open market.
The deal gives the Dodgers control of Kemp's rights until the 2019 season when he will be 35 years old — the best years of his career. According to Dylan Hernandez of the Los Angeles Times there doesn't appear to be a no-trade clause in the contract. Hernandez also details out the payout of the contract as follows:
2012 - $10 million with $2 million deferred without interest.
2013 - $20 million
2014 - $21 million
2015 - $21 million
2016 - $21.5 million
2017 - $21.5 million
2018 - $21.5 million
2019 - $21.5 million
The Dodgers have also signed second baseman Mark Ellis to a two-year contract with a club option for a third year and catcher and Orange County native Matt Treanor to a one-year contract with a club option for a second year.
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