Fantasy Fallout: With Kemp on the move, young Padres should get an extended look
Here are the fantasy implications of the San Diego Padres agreeing to trade OF Matt Kemp to the Atlanta Braves for 3B/OF Hector Olivera:
Season-long fantasy leagues
As far as Kemp is concerned, not a whole lot should change regarding his production. The 31-year-old has remained healthy while recording impressive power numbers. It took him 154 games in 2015 to hit 23 home runs; he's already matched that mark after just 100 contests in 2016.
He's moving from one basement-dwelling team to another, so aside from getting away from San Diego's pitcher-friendly Petco Park, there's not a whole lot to be gained from joining the Braves. Kemp's home/road splits have been dramatic - he's hitting .277 with 15 home runs while away, compared to .243 with eight home runs at Petco.
As a Brave, he'll likely be afforded some protection in the form of 1B Freddie Freeman (.282/.367/.518, with 18 home runs and 42 RBIs), similar to what Kemp received from All-Star 1B Wil Myers in San Diego.
With Atlanta looking to strengthen its lineup ahead of next season's move to a new stadium, it's possible that more additions could be made ahead of Monday's trade deadline to improve baseball's lowest-scoring team. Kemp's fantasy owners should simply hope that the at-times injury-prone star stays healthy and continues to launch home runs with regularity.
As for Olivera, he's a 31-year-old Cuban who's played a mere six games this season, as he's serving an 82-game domestic violence suspension. He's eligible to return on August 1, but it's unclear if he'll ultimately suit up for the Padres. It's possible the team simply eats the remaining years on Olivera's contract without him ever playing a game, so he's not worth targeting for fantasy purposes.
In 30 career games since his 2015 debut, Olivera is slashing .245/.296/.378, with two home runs.
The Padres' recent trades of Kemp and Melvin Upton Jr. should free up extensive playing time in the outfield for 25-year-old Travis Jankowski and 26-year-old Alex Dickerson, a pair of left-handed hitters who each offer differing fantasy skill sets.
Jankowski, the 44th pick in the 2012 draft, hasn't hit much this season (.226 average), but has gotten aboard at a .351 clip and has stolen 17 bases in 77 games. He's served as the leadoff man in 27 of his 32 starts, and with Upton Jr. traded and Jon Jay (forearm) sidelined, Jankowski should continue to be the team's table-setter.
Dickerson is slashing .286/.326/.571 in 32 games as a Padre, and was in the midst of a four-game home run streak that ended after leaving Friday's game prior to recording an at-bat after an outfield collision. The 6-foot-3 slugger had homered 10 times in 62 Triple-A games, so he seems the likeliest to replace Kemp's power threat.
Dickerson's power surge saw his ownership in standard fantasy leagues reach approximately 20 percent; both players are likely best suited for NL-only formats for the time being, though are worth monitoring, especially in deeper mixed leagues.