The reported eight-year, $160 million contract seals the 2011 MVP candidate in Chavez Ravine for the better part of the next decade, as the deal is said to include a no-trade clause. The deal may also affect the Red Sox' long-term plans for their outfield, specifically Jacoby Ellsbury.
Baseball moves are dominoes. Even when a National League club on the other side of the country re-signs its own player, it results in the falling of a domino that has an impact throughout baseball. Last offseason it was Adrian Gonzalez's deal with the Red Sox influencing the market this offseason for Albert Pujols; two years ago, the Phillies' acquisition of Roy Halladay forced the Red Sox to pursue different options in their rotation.
Now the Kemp signing is the latest, seemingly independent domino that could impact the way a number of teams construct their outfields for the upcoming season.
Kemp, who becomes the seventh-highest paid player in Major League Baseball history, was due to be a free agent at the close of the 2012 season. Although it was too early for the Red Sox — or any other team — to be rumored in connection with Kemp, it's safe to say that with another campaign of something approaching the 39 home runs and 126 runs batted in that he posted this year, Kemp would have been the top prize for every big-market club next winter.
And, let's be honest, nearly every big-name free agent's name eventually gets brought up here.
The timing of Kemp's free agency would have been interesting for the Red Sox, who have Carl Crawford locked up for another six years and Ellsbury coming off a career season. Ellsbury is eligible for free agency in 2013, and while he blossomed into an MVP candidate in 2011 in his own right, he's a different type of player than Kemp, who is a Triple Crown contender.
With Kemp due to become a free agent, it's conceivable the Red Sox might have gone with a stopgap option in right field, where Kemp has played 168 games in his career. Temporary options could include another season of Josh Reddick, an extended audition for Ryan Kalish or a one-year cameo for Michael Cuddyer to leave open the opportunity to pursue Kemp in the offseason.
All those possibilities remain, but now that Kemp is off the table, it certainly changes the way the team has to approach this offseason and its long-term plans for Ellsbury. If nothing else, it means the Red Sox can't stick Kemp in right field for a season and then shift him back to center after letting Ellsbury walk.
Carlos Beltran, who is older and unlikely to demand as much money as Kemp, now has greater leverage with the Red Sox and all other teams who might have planned on sitting this one out and going after Kemp next year. For Ellsbury, it most likely means the Red Sox won't have to face the conundrum of having three outfielders worth more than $150 million each when Ells is up for a new deal.
It remains to be seen how the Red Sox address their situation in right field for 2012, but with Kemp now wed to Los Angeles, at least one scenario is off the table.
Of course, there's always Andre Ethier.
