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| (Via tweet from AGon) |
Something big happens, like a blockbuster trade, that you don't discover until a couple days later.
That's what I experienced this morning. I dutifully got up and prepared for work, headed to the office and finally decided to check out my news feed -- something I chosen to ignore all weekend long. To my utter surprise, I discovered that old-friend Matt Kemp is back in LA. (For how long? I dunno.) And just as shockingly, the Dodgers shipped high-priced talent Adrian Gonzalez, Brandon McCarthy, Scott Kazmir, along with utilityman Charlie Culberson and some cash to the Braves in return.
Wow! Stay tuned as I think about some "thank you" and "welcome" post with fantasy Baseball cards.
Below are more links to check out:
- This Day in Dodgers History: In 2009 the Dodgers traded outfielder Juan Pierre to the White Sox for pitchers John Ely and Jon Link. In 2014 the Dodgers traded Tim Federowicz and Matt Kemp to San Diego for Zach Eflin, Yasmani Grandal and Joe Wieland.
- Happy Birthday, Dave Oldfield, Hub Knolls, Jimmy Pattison, Bill Skowron, Gino Cimoli, Zoilo Versalles, Lance Carter & Micah Johnson!
- Check out Sports Illustrated's 100 Best Photos of 2017. It includes an hilarious photo of Kike Hernandez monkeying around (#27 on the list), a fantastic silhouetted pic of Joc Pederson taken during the NLCS (#64), and an exuberant Justin Turner after hitting his Game 4 homer during the NLCS (#75). There are also several World Series pics on the list but they primarily feature the Astros.
- This is probably the most important detail regarding this weekends blockbuster trade. Per Chad Moriyama at Dodgers Digest; "Dodgers are now ~$21 million under luxury tax, but more needed to make a 2018 splash."
While the trade definitely saved on payouts to players in 2018, that wasn’t the motivation. Rather it was shedding money from the luxury tax number that was of importance. Adrian Gonzalez, Scott Kazmir, Brandon McCarthy, and Culberson would’ve counted around ~$50 million against the Dodgers in 2018, whereas Matt Kemp and the cash sent to the Braves costs ~$21 million. That saves the team about $29 million for the upcoming season, which not only allows them to reset the luxury tax, but also affords them room to maneuver in 2018.
- Buster Olney at ESPN has more details on the debt-saving trade; "Olney: Dodgers, Braves both profit from creative, debt-defying deal."
- I will always remember you, Charlie Culberson. Per Eric Stephen at True Blue LA; "Charlie Culberson: Dodgers ‘made us feel like family’"
- You shouldn't expect Kemp to be a Dodger long, via a tweet from Ken Rosenthal:
Sources: Kemp unlikely to play for #Dodgers. Strong candidate to be traded or released.— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 16, 2017
- This is really fascinating. Per Ron Bolton at Baseball History Comes Alive; "Island Park, Wichita, KS, June 21, 1925 – The Negro League Wichita Monrovians beat a Ku Klux Klan team and hate 10-8."
With both teams agreeing to play and promised a clean game, the attention turned to the fans, at the time it was thought that the Wichita area had up to 6,000 Klan members. Violence from this end was a concern, so much that when a local paper printed an article announcing the game they added:“Strangle holds, razors and horsewhips, and other violent implements of argument will be barred at the baseball game at Island Park…when the baseball club of Wichita Klan Number 6 goes up against the Wichita Monrovians, Wichita’s crack colored team.
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