LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) Matt Kemp's agent said the Los Angeles Dodgers are not trading the All-Star outfielder.
Dave Stewart spoke Wednesday with Los Angeles general manager Ned Colletti at baseball's winter meetings, and walked away feeling confident the Dodgers wouldn't move his Kemp.
Rumors have circulated this week that the Dodgers are listening to offers for Kemp, who is heading into the third year of an eight-year, $160 million contract.
"For the time being they are not going to move him," Stewart said. "He didn't even say that. I put in the words `for the time being' because you never know. Somebody could come along and overwhelm them with a player or players or a combination of players that would make it worth their while."
Stewart said Kemp, who is coming off left ankle and left shoulder surgery, is right on track to be ready for the upcoming season after he hit only six homers and had 33 RBIs while hitting .270 in 73 games last year.
With Kemp on the mend, Dodgers manager Don Mattingly said Tuesday he may have to juggle starts for Kemp, Yasiel Puig, Carl Crawford and Andre Ethier.
"I'll say this, and this is me talking, `A healthy Matt Kemp is better than anybody they've got playing center field,"' Stewart said. "They may play four outfielders but, if he's healthy, he's not going to be a platoon guy. I'm saying that. If he's healthy, which we have no reason to believe he's not going to be healthy, he's going to play center field every day and they can figure out what they want to do with the other three."
