Posted by Sabrina B. @gametimegirl
Most Valuable Player candidate Matt Kemp and the Los Angeles Dodgers have agreed to a eight-year, $160 million contract. The contract is the largest-ever signed by the Dodgers, according to MLB.com
Kemp would have been eligible for free agency after the 2012 season and would have been a hot commodity after leading the NL in home runs (39) and RBIs (126) this past season. He made a run at becoming the majors’ first Triple Crown winner in 44 years before finishing third in the NL in hitting (.324) and also stole 40 bases, leaving him a home run shy of becoming the fifth player in big league history to join the 40/40 club. Continue Reading.
The Dodgers have officially announced an eight-year, $160 million contract extension with outfielder Matt Kemp at a news conference at Dodgers Stadium today, according to MLB.com.
“Congrats to @TheRealMattKemp on your new contract! We’re excited to keep you in Dodger blue for the next 8 years!†The team tweeted from its official Twitter account this afternoon.
The contract is the largest-ever signed by the Dodgers, according to MLB.com. The team’s previous largest deal came in 1998 when they made Kevin Brown the highest paid player in baseball history at the time with a seven-year $105 million deal.
In his best season-to-date, the 27-year-old hit .324/.399/.586 and led the league with both 39 home runs and 126 RBI. He also stole 40 bases, falling just one home run shy of joining the elite 40 stolen base and 40 home run club.
The Oklahoma native has played for the Dodgers since 2006 when he broke into the major leagues at 21-years-old. In six seasons, he has averaged 26 home runs, 30 stolen bases, and a hitting line of .294/.350/.496.
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