Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves

Braves trade Matt Kemp to Dodgers in major salary swap

The Braves hope to improve their defense, and one area where they could do it quickly would be to replace injury-slowed left fielder Matt Kemp.
The Braves hope to improve their defense, and one area where they could do it quickly would be to replace injury-slowed left fielder Matt Kemp.
By
Dec 16, 2017

The Braves and Dodgers announced a five-player trade Saturday afternoon that sent outfielder Matt Kemp back to Los Angeles.

Atlanta added starting pitchers Brandon McCarthy and Scott Kazmir, infielder Charlie Culberson, first baseman Adrian Gonzalez and cash. Gonzalez was designated for assignment.

The Dodgers snuck under the $197 million luxury tax threshold, while the Braves open an outfield spot for top prospect Ronald Acuna.

Kazmir and McCarthy have endured several injuries through the recent years, with both presenting moderate upside when healthy.

Culberson could be a utility option. He’s played sparingly for the Dodgers the past two seasons, with his most memorable performance coming at the end of the 2016 campaign, when Culberson hit a walk-off home run to clinch the NL West in Vin Scully’s final home game.

About the Author

Gabriel Burns is a general assignment reporter and features writer for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. After four years on the Braves beat, he's expanded his horizons and covers all sports. You'll find him writing about MLB, NFL, NBA, college football and other Atlanta-centric happenings.

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