Dodgers’ Friedman Faces First Test

Sep 19, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Matt Kemp (27) celebrates with teammate Carl Crawford (3) after he hit a 3-run home run in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Will the Dodgers finally move one of their outfielders?

For the last year and a half, the Dodgers have had a real logjam in the outfield. With four players that have made no secret of their wish to be every-day players, it has been a tough task for Manager Don Mattingly to maintain harmony in the clubhouse. This task figures to get even more difficult in the future as rookie Phenom Joc Pederson can be expected to make the full-time jump to the major leagues soon.

There are certainly benefits to having a surplus of outfielders. The Dodgers learned this first-hand when they struggled with injuries to both Carl Crawford and Matt Kemp that kept both out of the lineup for extended periods.

The downside, however, could be seen when all players were healthy. Each player wanted to play every day and felt they needed to be in the lineup to find some consistency at the plate. Ultimately, someone healthy and fully confident they were capable of being an everyday starter was left out in the cold.

Winning has certainly helped to smooth this situation over in the clubhouse. But this will only help for so long, especially if that winning never results to anything more than shallow playoff runs. Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier have already been vocal about their desire to play every day.

So, who do the Dodgers move?

Yasiel Puig and youngster Joc Pederson are off the table. This leaves Ethier, Kemp and Crawford. But this is where things get tricky. It can certainly be argued that none of these players has performed up to their current contracts.

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Ethier may seem like the most likely to move, as his contract may be the easiest for another team to absorb. But there is likely a lot of skepticism around the league that he is capable of being an everyday player at this stage.

On the flip side, Matt Kemp is clearly the player with the most upside and the highest chance of living up to his contract. The latest rumors seem to confirm that Kemp is the player generating the most interest outside of LA.

But the very reasons that Kemp would generate interest are the very reasons the Dodgers would be hesitant to trade the outfielder. There is probably no one in the outfield that gives the Dodgers a better option if they are still looking to win now. A quick look at Kemp’s second half last year shows just how potent he can be at the plate when healthy.