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The Los Angeles Dodgers and Matt Kemp have agreed on a new 8-year $160 million deal. The deal which was first reported by FOXSports.com on Monday was finalized Friday. This adds to a very impressive offseason for the team as pitcher Clayton Kershaw won the Cy Young awayd and Gold Glove for his position.
The contract was signed by the 27-year-old and GM Ned Colletti with owner Frank McCourt looking on during a press conference. McCourt has agreed to sell the team after going through messy divorce proceedings all season.
The All-Star centerfielder hit .324 this past season with 39 homeruns and 126 runs batted in. He also was a menace on the bases with 40 stolen bases. The Dodgers hope they don't get the same player from 2010 who hit .249 with 28 homeruns and 89 runs batted in.
Kemp has already won Gold Glove and Silver Slugger awards this season and is one of the candidates for NL MVP.
This is the seventh largest deal in MLB history following the last two contracts of Alex Rodriguez and deals for Derek Jeter, Joe Mauer, Mark Teixeira and CC Sabathia. The deal is tied with the one Manny Ramirez signed with the Boston Red Sox back in 2001.
From The Sports Mind Of RB:
As I said in an earlier post it's amazing how the Dodgers were able to finish last season above .500 with all the ownership crap they were dealing with. Kemp deserved this because the numbers he put up last season were impressive considering some started to count him off after his lackluster 2010. I wonder if his break up with popstar Rihanna had anything to do with his bounce back year? It reminds when Derek Jeter was first dating Mariah Carey or Tony Romo was dating Jessica Simpson.
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