Padres general manager A.J. Preller must not wait until August to trade Matt Kemp.

Kemp’s trade value will be at its peak shortly after the All-Star Break.

The Padres put a lot of stock into competing last season, only to fail miserably. As a result, Preller spent the offseason trading away several key players as a way to jump-start a rebuilding project. Make no mistake, the Padres are rebuilding. Which means there won’t be any room for a 30-something outfielder making over $20 million per year.

Not only would it be good for the Padres to take Kemp off their payroll, but they also need to make room in their outfield for their top two prospects, Manuel Margot and Hunter Renfroe. Margot is currently 39th on Scout.com’s MLB Top-100 Prospects.


Both started this season in Triple-A and could be ready for the majors by September, if not the beginning of the 2017 season. Of course, to make room for both of them, particularly Renfroe, who is an ideal fit in right field, the Padres will have to trade Kemp.

The good news: Kemp is currently on pace for 37 homers and 116 RBIs, plus a likely All-Star appearance.

The bad news: He’s had Jekyll and Hyde-like splits since 2013. He’s either played like an All-Star one half and phoned it in the other or he’s gotten hurt.

That’s why as soon as players return from break, Preller needs to shop Kemp aggressively and take the best offer.


Preller’s leverage and Kemp’s value will never be higher.

FIRST HALF AB R H HR RBI SB AVG.

*2013 224 29 57 4 24 9 .254

2014 305 38 82 8 35 5 .269


2015 348 44 87 8 47 8 .250

SECOND HALF AB R H HR RBI SB AVG.

*2013 39 6 14 2 9 0 .359

2014 236 39 73 17 54 3 .309


2015 248 36 71 15 53 4 .286

*- Dealt with injuries