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Dodgers, Matt Kemp Talk Multi-Year Deal

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The Dodgers have begun discussing a multi-year contract with Matt Kemp, writes Ken Gurnick of MLB.com.  However, his agent Dave Stewart says that Kemp might prefer to go year-to-year via arbitration.

Kemp is one of nine Dodgers eligible for arbitration this winter and one of five eligible for the first time in their careers.  Gurnick writes that signing position players like Kemp, James Loney, and Andre Ethier to long-term deals would provide the club with a degree of cost certainty.  GM Ned Colletti approached Russell Martin two years ago about a multiyear agreement but was rebuffed.

The 25-year-old Kemp hit .297/.352/.490 with 26 HRs in 2009 while playing an above average center field.

Discussion: Los Angeles Dodgers

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Ever since the news of Frank and Jamie McCourt's divorce proceedings broke last October, Dodgers fans have been wondering (and dreading) if the ownership dispute would impact the team's operations.  The first two months of the offseason have been quiet enough in L.A. to make it look like the Dodgers are themselves also still waiting to see how things will play out with the McCourts and have thus been in a holding pattern in regards to next season's payroll.

This isn't to say that Los Angeles hasn't been active.  The Dodgers traded Juan Pierre to the White Sox, were involved in the Roy Halladay sweepstakes, tried to acquire Aaron Harang from Cincinnati and signed utilityman Jamey Carroll.  But, as Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports pointed out today, the club is playing even-steven with its offseason moves in order to steady the budget.  For instance, the Dodgers saved $8MM over the next two seasons by dealing Pierre, and spent $3.85MM of those savings to sign Carroll.  Acquiring another notable free agent (such as Rosenthal's example of Joel Pineiro) would require L.A. to make another move to free up the cash to sign the right-hander.

We've already seen a bit of penny-pinching from the team this winter when they didn't offer arbitration to any of their free agents, passing on the chance to acquire compensatory draft picks for Type A free agents Orlando Hudson and Randy Wolf out of fear that Hudson or Wolf might accept the offer.  The bright side for Dodgers fans is that the team is at least keeping the payroll stable, rather than shifting into outright cost-cutting mode.  Rosenthal notes that there are no plans to deal any of L.A.'s young stars before their arbitration years — trading the likes of Andre Ethier, for example, would be "counter-productive" given Ethier's reasonable arbitration number and Manny Ramirez's slight decline. 

This stand-pat strategy will force Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti to be creative in filling the holes on a club that has lost the NLCS to Philadelphia in each of the last two seasons.  Rosenthal said that George Sherrill is "a candidate to be traded," but L.A. wouldn't save much money from the deal and getting rid of Sherrill would weaken their bullpen. There is also a need to sign a veteran like Pineiro to anchor the otherwise young starting rotation.

Dodgers Notes: DeWitt, Halladay, Young Players

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Some Dodgers notes from Ken Gurnick of MLB.com's latest mailbag…

  • The club is uneasy about Blake DeWitt as their everyday second baseman because of his lackluster defense.  If DeWitt's offense were on par with the likes of Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp, Jamey Carroll would likely be slotted on the bench rather than split time with the 24-year-old.
  • The Dodgers made an earnest attempt to land Roy Halladay prior to the blockbuster deal that shipped him to Philadelphia.  According to sources, the Blue Jays would have preferred L.A. as a trading partner, but of course, it wasn't really up to them.  Ultimately, it didn't matter how much the Dodgers could give Toronto or potentially give Doc in an extension, the Phillies were at the top of his list.
  • One reader asked why the Dodgers don't lock up their young core players in long-term contracts rather than go to arbitration with them.  Gurnick says that it is often a risky proposition and references the regression of Russell Martin as an example.  Had the Dodgers given him a hefty four or five-year deal after his back-to-back All-Star seasons, they would have likely regretted it after his slide the past two seasons.

Odds & Ends: Chapman, Iglesias, Dodgers

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They're not quite as good as Saturday morning cartoons, but here's some Saturday morning links…

  • David Lennon of Newsday writes that the Mets are among a handful of teams that are exploring a deal for Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman. We learned that Chapman was officially declared a free agent by MLB yesterday.
  • ESPN's Jorge Arangure Jr. sat down for a chat with Jose Iglesias, who the Red Sox signed for over $8MM this summer. When asked why he chose the Sox, Iglesias said they "were a team that needed a shortstop," and "they are my father's favorite team."
  • With Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp, Chad Billingsley, Jonathan Broxton, Russell Martin, George Sherrill, and Hong-Chih Kuo all eligible for salary arbitration this offseason, Dylan Hernandez of The LA Times says that the Dodgers could be looking at raises totaling about $20MM.
  • Paul Sullivan of The Chicago Tribune says that Royals "upper management still considers (Milton) Bradley a talented hitter who could thrive in a low-key environment such as the one in Kansas City." He also wonders if a Bradley for Aaron Rowand deal could work.

Dodgers, Andre Ethier Avoid Arb

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According to Joel Sherman of the New York Post, the Dodgers avoided arbitration with outfielder Andre Ethier by signing him at $3.1MM for ’09.  He can earn another $100K in incentives.  If Ethier gets those incentives he’ll be at the midpoint of the two submissions.  Perhaps the deal will help Corey Hart and Josh Willingham come to terms.  Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel says the Brewers have had extensive discussions with Hart’s agent this morning.

Dodgers, Ethier Headed To Arb Hearing?

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As MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick reports, the Dodgers and outfielder Andre Ethier are on the eve of an arbitration hearing.  The two sides have less than 24 hours to work out a deal, and it doesn’t look promising.

"There’s no way to handicap it," general manager Ned Colletti said Monday afternoon. "The time is right to do it when both sides can’t agree. We’ve tried to avoid it and we will the next 24 hours. We all love Andre. He was the first player I traded for when I came here."

Ethier asked for $3.75MM and the Dodgers offered $2.65MM back when figures were due.  The 26-year-old hit .305/.375/.510 with 20 home runs and 77 RBI last season.

Hart, Ethier Likely Headed To Arb Hearing

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2:19pm: Adam McCalvy at MLB.com mentions an interesting parallel to the arbitration situation with Corey Hart.

Andre Ethier is expected to go to an arbitration hearing on Tuesday, the day before Hart’s hearing is scheduled. The numbers in Ethier’s case are very similar, the outfielder having asked for $3.75 million while the Dodgers offered $2.65 million.

The outcome of the Ethier case may be indicative of what to expect for Hart.

11:15am: Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel writes the Brewers and Corey Hart will likely be headed to an arbitration hearing. Says assistant general manager Gord Ash, "We’re still where we were, with a case on Wednesday."

Haudricourt’s got the numbers, too: "In his first year of salary arbitration eligibility, Hart filed for $3.8 million. The club offered him $2.7 million. Hart made $444,000 last season."

Ethier Likely Headed To Arbitration

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According to Tony Jackson of the Los Angeles Daily News, "it now appears that an arbitration hearing is all but inevitable for Andre Ethier."

Ethier’s hearing is currently scheduled for Tuesday, February 17.  He requested $3.75MM and the Dodgers countered with a $2.65MM bid back when figures were due.  Jackson notes that the Dodgers have won their last two arbitration cases, with Eric Gagne in 2004 and Joe Beimel in 2007.

Ethier’s Arbitration Hearing Date Is Set

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Tony Jackson of the Los Angeles Daily News reports that Andre Ethier’s arbitration hearing is scheduled for February 17.

As Jackson writes, "that should give the sides plenty of time to reach an agreement and avoid a hearing, but you never know."  Ethier and his representatives have asked for $3.75MM, while the Dodgers submitted a $2.65MM bid.  He is the team’s only pending arbitration case.

Dodgers Avoid Arb With Martin, Broxton

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12:40pm: MLB.com’s Rhett Bollinger says the Dodgers also reached an agreement with Jonathan Broxton ($1.825MM plus $200K in incentives), leaving Andre Ethier as the team’s lone arbitration case.

11:50am: According to Ken Rosenthal, the Dodgers avoided arbitration with catcher Russell Martin by signing him for ’09 at $3.9MM.  It’s a record for a first-year arb catcher, though a smaller amount than I was anticipating.

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