The Dodgers are looking into the possibility of a trade involving infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick, according to a report from Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. It appears the move may be motivated at least in part by the fact that Kendrick was not enamored of his multi-positional usage last year.
Sources tell Rosenthal that the 33-year-old could end up being shipped to the Phillies, who apparently have interest. The Angels also make good sense, Rosenthal notes. It isn’t clear whether trade discussions are particularly active right now, or whether the possibility of a deal is something that will be pondered over the course of the offseason.
From the Dodgers’ perspective, gaining clarity on Kendrick may best be accomplished early. Though he spent significant time in left field in 2016, it had seemed rather likely that he’d return to his natural second base — whether or not joined by a platoon partner — for the season to come. Of course, the Dodgers surely wouldn’t be shy about utilizing him at third or in a broader utility role. But whether the team feels it can allocate resources elsewhere or simply thinks it’s better off honoring Kendrick’s apparent wishes, it seems there’s at least some momentum toward a deal.
Both of the teams mentioned make a good deal of sense on paper. The Phillies do have a rather productive second baseman on hand already, but could still use Kendrick in the infield or corner outfield. While the club isn’t exactly desperate to plug holes as a contender might be, it’s clearly seeking good value on respected veterans who don’t require multi-year commitments. With just one year and $10MM owed to Kendrick, he fits that mold perfectly, and Philly’s immense payroll space would easily accommodate the salary.
The Angels, likewise, are looking to avoid lengthy tie-ups, but in their case there’s a more urgent need to add quality major league pieces. Kendrick spent much of his career with Los Angeles’s other team, and the Halos have a clear need for a second baseman. Of course, the organization doesn’t necessarily have a lot of flexibility to move assets — whether major leaguers or prospects — to make a deal work.
Of course, the Dodgers may not have immense leverage in moving Kendrick. He was certainly not himself at the plate last year, slashing just .255/.326/.366 over 543 plate appearances, which made 2016 the worst offensive season of Kendrick’s career. And though Kendrick had typically rated well in the field, his 2015 work at second base was panned by defensive metrics. While he actually received solid marks in left field last year, that’s not really where his peak value lies.
Oh man if the Angels could get Howie back that would be a golden addition.
1. Escobar
2. Kendrick
3. Trout
4. Pujols
5. Calhoun
6. Cron
7. Maybin
8. Perez/Bandy
9. Simmons
I agree he needs to go back to LAA
Change may in and Escobar and all of a sudden that doesn’t look like such a bad lineup
HK back to LAA great! Also sign Ellis to take over @ C
I liked Hundley or Ramos more
Doesn’t matter if you can’t pitch
Kendrick for a rehabbing Heaney.
Done deal
angels say no quickly
Would much rather they just let Utley walk and move him back to 2b full time until Calhoun is ready
I read that Calhoun is most likely to end up in left field
Better the phillies than angels. The angels have enough right hand hitters. They’d be better off signing utley
Always liked Kendrick, one of my favorites. Kendrick knows how to hit, I believe HK has a batting title in him – Bill Mueller style.
Given his relatively decent showing in the OF this season, i can see why the Phillies might want to sign him as a super-utility sort of player, if he is open to that.
if he was open to that i don’t think he would’ve complained during the season, which is what rosenthal wrote
He is 33 guys, downside of his career. Better off as a super utility guy somewhere.
What kind of deal would it be
Dodgers acquire Role Player for Kendrick (Kendrick’s contract) and a 10-15 org prospect
Dodgers acquire mid-level prospect for Kendrick and cash (like half)
or
Dodgers acquire Kendrick for prospect(s)
I just don’t know what kind of value he has
I don’t have stats, but it felt like the last month of the season and into the Nats playoffs, Kendrick was one of our best right handed bats against lefties. Dusty Baker was afraid to face Kendrick in that one playoff game. He definitely has value. I say keep him.
As much as I always admired Howie even with the Angels, I believe this a decent decision to make for the dodgers to open up the 2nd base for Justin Turner in a resign and explore the market for Longoria. Just an idea, what do you guys think?
Or the angels counter and sign justin turner, either way the angels need to make their line up deeper and put talent around trout in the line up
Don’t rule out the Brewers. Counsell loves multipositional guys, though it appears Kendrick hates that… Anyway, the Dodgers and Brewers have obviously been in communication for months (mostly about Braun). While Stearns values young talent above all else, he’s shown he’s willing to take on older, trade-deadline fodder in addition to prospects (see: Aaron Hill).
I’d like to see him back with the halos. I feel with a full time role at second with his old team he’d have a decent year at the plate.
Losing his chemistry hurt the angels imo
he would be a nice cheap upgrade in left field for the phillies. potential trade value as well along with neshek
Rather would see young players playing to see what they can do. Phils will not contend in 2017
Maybe they could take Darnell Sweeney back in exchange for Kendrick.
Are they talking about trading Kendrick for nobody, or are we working on the theory that Kendrick is worthless, or the Dodgers need nothing, so it doesn’t matter who they get in return?
Kendrick is hard to assess. He posted numbers in 2016 well below his career averages, and at age 33, that is certainly concerning. $10,000,000 also might be a bit difficult to swallow for a player that could continue to decline. On top of that, the Dodgers don’t have a great deal of leverage because most teams know they are trying to clear some payroll space to open up to re-sign Turner and Jensen, and Kendrick really doesn’t have a position for the Dodgers as it stands right now.
So now the storyline is that Dodgers won’t have enough money to sign Turner and Jansen without clearing more payroll? Since when?
As for having no position on the Dodgers, Kendrick is the incumbent 2B at the moment. They actually have nobody else.
It’s not that they don’t have the money, however they have said they would like to get payroll down and I would imagine Turner and Jensen probably command $30m a year together (so they’d still be adding payroll, it just would lessen the damage).
My apologies about the no position comment- I looked at RR, and Howie was at third (and I assumed he’d be pushed to the bench upon a Turner signing) however I then looked at Hernandez’s numbers and I realized I was in the wrong there.
I believe they are trying to become a lot less expensive and hence more profitable, but only on the basis of what I’ve seen from this front office, and not because the Dodgers have represented anything publicly on payroll goals. To my knowledge they never have. Anyway, not to take it out on you, but this is a pretty much completely one-sided story. The Dodgers already have needs in virtually every department. Trading away Kendrick just creates a new one, so you might think it would be relevant to consider the implications for the Dodgers beyond saving a few bucks, at least going as far as trying to assess what the Dodgers might want in return.
I know what you’re saying– honestly, as I said in my one comment separate from this conversation, I have no idea what a Kendrick deal would look like- I just have no idea how he’s looked upon by the rest of the league. Personally, if I’m the Dodgers, I want a mid-level prospect and some salary relief,
If I’m dealing with Philly, I would probably ask for Malquin Canelo
Kendrick soldiered well in a utility role playing most LF but he’d be a lot more likely to fall back into his offensive groove if he was stationed back at his natural position. I felt that was the most likely scenario for him and still do, so this talk of trading him without any obvious return or plan for 2B is mystifying. Didn’t help that the article was written as if none of the implications on the Dodgers’ side matters.
It makes a tremendous amount of sense. The writing has been on the wall as we continued to see Utley playing even through his struggles. I’m not going to get into all the reasons for the sake of time and space but he was clearly frustrated bc he was not playing everyday and we saw a massive decline in his defensive prowess. This front office has been shown to be keen on defensive viability. His offensive decline can also not be camped on solely upon him bouncing around positions. It makes great sense see as though Kendrick probably won’t be the sole moving piece most likely in salary dumps.
I am not following your reasoning. Utley is also a free agent and if he comes back it would be in a platoon capacity, most logically with Kendrick. If Utley does not come back, Kendrick is the only 2B on the Dodgers’ roster. Surely you don’t think this position should be turned over on a daily basis to Hernandez. The scary part is your talk of a salary dump. If that’s what is happening then we are actually talking about a rebuild, and not being competitive for however long that takes.
You’re assumption being that this move precludes them from making another move. No I don’t think this position will be turned over to Kikè or should be. They don’t believe that Kendrick can play defensively and the number prove that out. They also lost faith in him offensively. He showed numerous time his struggles against velocity. He has also been hurt by the fact that the number two spot has now become the cleanup spot in baseball. I don’t think it’s a rebuild it sounds like a reconstruction of the roster. In terms of salary dump I’m talking about seeing then trying to move Ethier,Kendrick, Puig McCarthy, and Kazmir. That’s alone frees up (61 mill minus a portion they have to eat). And before you say no one will want McCarthy and Kaz just understand how bad the market is on SP and how reasonable those two contracts are in retrospect. They are already right at the threshold. So yeah they trying to get younger but they’ve already brought in significant intriguing talent to the major league level.
Give me a package of Longo/Odorizzi or Quintana/Eaton bc they are one of the few teams that can. Which also will free up money for a Turner, Hill, and Jansen.
Also understand that Kendrick was not happy with his role he does not want to platoon. Whether it’s realistic or not he wants to be an every day inf.
Kendrick pieces for C. Hernandez. You get a switch hitting 2b that can hit lefties, that can pick it, some speed, and can bounce around the inf. He can also get on base. They just made the team better and can add to it.
Again you make the highly questionable assumption that if the Dodgers “clear salary” this this “frees up” dollars to be spend on other players. You can’t discount the real possibility that the cleared salary will go straight into ownership’s pocket, and stay there. Let’s see what happens with Jansen and Turner. If the Dodgers sign both of them then I will revise my view. If they don’t then maybe you should revise yours.
Which I have no problem with. My only contention being, Kendrick moving to 2nd significantly improves this team that’s all I’m disagreeing with. Replacing him with a Hernandez who pick it and versatile is an upgrade at this point in Kendrick’s career. There currently is $70 mill on this roster from both regimes that could currently be better utilized and I have a feeling there will be a strong attempt to move a majority of that while restructuring the roster.
So you have no problem with that $70M going for, say, Mark Walters’ new private jet instead of paying for players? Please clarify if I am misunderstanding how you think the fans’ dollars are best spent.
I am not saying that Kendrick back to 2B is a significant improvement to the team, but I can well see that a year’s worth of Hernandez at that position is a substantial downgrade (reminding you he did not bat his weight last season). His best value is in a utility role anyway, so locking him to a position also wastes that part of his usefulness. This is exactly the scenario we were discussing a year ago and it’s pretty easy to see that if had come true the Dodgers would not even have made the postseason this year.
Why in Gods name would the Phillies want him , they are rebuilding and need a lefhanded Power bat , Preferably an Outfielder
Trade to the rays maybe a decent starter
The Rays have no use for Kendrick non at all.
Phillies make too much sense in my mind. Veteran on a 1 year deal with a low acquisition cost. The Klentak-Kendrick connection from LAA. He would fit in well in front of Franco. It’s a good fit for him as well considering he’d move to a very hitter friendly ballpark.
I’d like them to sign a lefty platoon bat for right field to platoon with Altherr (unless they see Quinn as a serious option for Opening Day).
Hendricks looked like a joke in LF, it was like watching Juan Piere’s little brother, you know the one with the weak arm in the family. This guy is a second baseman nothing else, its silly to try and make him into the type of player he clearly isn’t.
I’d keep him. If you do trade him maybe trade him to the Tigers in a package for Kinsler. Bring back Utley for PH and reserve role.
Bring back Kendrick? Okay, let’s bring back Reggie, Nolan, Fred, Doug, Bobby, Brian…. Heck the Halos need a 3B so let’s bring Jack back…. Hey clowns! How about Wally World???? You guys who want Kendrick back, do you move on from anything? Move forward, get over it, dude is gone.
what kind of a comment is this? angels need a 2b and he’s a good one.
A comment with a bunch of ex Angel players. Obviously YOU have no clue on who they are…. Move on. Get over it. Let it go.
no i know who they are, just makes no sense how once they leave the angels they should be elimanted from ever being considered to come back
It’s a typical comment from that guy.
ik, i shouldn’t have even asked. dumb move
If you succeed in bringing Jack Howell back, I’ll come out of retirement and be the #5 starter.
Last chance for me to get that Gold Glove at the pitching position I always deserved.
howie would be great, but i think the best thing to happen is for him to be traded to the phillies. I love howie and would be happy if we got him, but i’d rather have cesar hernadez from the phillies. they have infield prospects so he might be expandable
i would also rather have walker than howie. howies not what he used to be
You can never have too many expandable players. Survival of the fitness.
Who is “Hendricks?” It is “Kendrick!” And he was not a joke in LF. He fielded it quite well, although I would admit that his arm is not great. But it is not at Juan Pierre’s noodle-level arm.