Dodgers Transactions Thread

[Old Sweater]

Clicked on Mickeys link, so not assumption anymore. You're neanderthal like the rest of us Mex. Now imagine her as a trainer checking you out after getting one in the boys.

[Mex86]

Now imagine her as a trainer checking you out after getting one in the boys.

I did. Just took the latest in a series of cold showers.

[RickD]

Matt Kemp and the Los Angeles Dodgers have reached agreement on an eight-year, $160 million deal,

[Mex86]

That's the most important Dodger signing in at least a decade.

[OutfieldGrass]

Good for them. Surprised it was done this quickly with ownership up in the air but its good for Dodgers fans and baseball in general.

[WilsonC]

My heart likes the moves, but my head can't help but notice the similarities between this and the Vernon Wells deal. Both are talented CF with lots of tools, who had up-and-down careers, and were coming off a career-type year and then signed to big contracts a year before free agency. Kemp's breakout/career year is better than Wells' was, but their careers had similar shapes up until the signings.

Now, if he sustains a level somewhere between his pre-2011 levels and his career year, this could still be a fair signing, but it's one that they could very easily regret if he regresses further than they think.

[Mex86]

I was actually reminded of Adrian Beltre, the player they DIDN'T resign after his breakout year in 2004 (48 Hr, 121 RBI). Beltre went to Seattle the following year and has not been the same player since, though he was very good with Boston and now Texas.

As far as Wells goes, Kemp has five years on him, and Wells had already show signs of sliding, with three less-than-stellar years from '07-09, after an excellent '06. As longas Kemp's head stays straight, I think he's the real deal.

[WilsonC]

The comparison between Wells (circa 2006, prior to his big contract) and Kemp has more to do with their situations at the time of the deal.

Both players were extended after a career-type year, with a year left on their contracts, to a contract that didn't include a meaningful risk-absorbing discount. The two players were remarkably similar hitters prior to their big years. (.285/.330/.481, 108 OPS+ for Wells (667 G), .285/.336/.472, 113 OPS+ for Kemp (626 G)) Both players were highly touted CF prospects with loads of tools and both had put together an earlier season of all-star caliber at age 24. Both were coming off less-than-stellar years before their breakout campaigns. Both players had their big season at an age where improvement is common (26 for Kemp, 27 for Wells).

Kemp's big season was significantly better than Wells' offensively, but between an unsustainable BABIP (.380) and an OBP aided by a higher IBB rate, and Wells in 2006 hit comparably to his own 2003, so the decline next year is more predictable for Kemp than it was for Wells (though the degree is another story).

Kemp certainly has a few factors in his favor. First off, his career year was better than Wells' was, which puts his upside risk higher. He's slightly younger, and the market's risen a little since Wells signed.

Obviously we have hindsight in Wells' case, but there's enough foreseeable risk here that I'm not a fan of the deal from the team's perspective. He may end up being worth the contract (I think most likely, he'll be good enough that it won't be an albatross), but his performance is unpredictable enough going forward that I think it would have made more sense to wait a year. There's a chance his price would go up, but realistically his contract is close enough to the top end of his market value that the potential savings aren't worth the risk of getting this deal done early.

[RickD]

Andre Ethier signed a five-year, $85 million contract extension.The contract also includes a $17.5 million vesting option for 2018.

Ethier, represented by CAA Sports, will earn $13.5 million in 2013; $15.5 million in 2014; $18 million in 2015; $18 million in 2016; $17.5 million in 2017; and $17.5 million or a $2.5 million buyout in 2018.

[astrosfanatic]

Andre Ethier signed a five-year, $85 million contract extension.The contract also includes a $17.5 million vesting option for 2018.

Ethier, represented by CAA Sports, will earn $13.5 million in 2013; $15.5 million in 2014; $18 million in 2015; $18 million in 2016; $17.5 million in 2017; and $17.5 million or a $2.5 million buyout in 2018.

He gets this mega-contract in a month where he is hitting .217 with a .614 OPS.......Wake up Andre!!!! Man, he needs Kemp to come back badly