Dodgers won’t trade Matt Kemp, his agent says

Matt Kemp’s agent says Dodgers General Manager Ned Colletti told him Wednesday morning that the club won’t trade the former All-Star outfielder.

“He said that they’re not going to move him,” said Dave Stewart, who represents Kemp.
Stewart said he relayed the message to his client.

“He never wanted to leave,” Stewart said of Kemp.

Before the start of baseball’s winter meetings, Stewart said he would be “surprised” if Kemp wasn’t traded this winter.

Stewart said Colletti didn’t explain why the Dodgers wouldn’t trade Kemp.

“We didn’t get into specifics and details,” Stewart said. “I asked him a direct question and he gave me a direct answer. The specifics of why he didn’t want to move him, he didn’t get into.

Colletti wasn’t immediately available for comment.

“This is me talking, but a healthy Matt Kemp is the guy on that team. He’s not a piece of the puzzle,” Stewart said. “As Reggie [Jackson] would say, he’s the straw that stirs the drink. We have to assume he’s going to be healthy. And if he’s healthy and ready to play from the start, you know what he’s going to do. The only reason his numbers have been down for the last year and a half, two years is because he hasn’t been healthy. That in itself is a reason to hold on to him.”

Stewart said he assumed teams would continue to ask the Dodgers about Kemp. Stewart also acknowledged the Dodgers might still trade Kemp if a team approaches them with an over-the-top trade offer.

Kemp is recovering from shoulder and ankle surgeries. Stewart said Kemp is recovering well and should start running and hitting next month.