Los Angeles Dodgers, San Diego Padres still discussing Matt Kemp

Talks between the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres surrounding Matt Kemp have been ongoing for the past week, but things appear to be heating up a bit between the two sides. FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal reports that things are “getting closer” but the Dodgers are still asking for a decent return.

San Diego’s interest in acquiring Kemp seemed to pick up once the team lost out on signing Pablo Sandoval. They were a surprising inclusion in the chase for the free agent market’s biggest bat, making a sizeable offer that wasn’t far from what Sandoval ultimately signed for. San Diego had one of the worst offenses in baseball this past season and finding a bat to make the centerpiece of the lineup has been a priority since new GM A.J. Preller first took over.

Kemp would certainly fit that mold, but acquiring him also means acquiring a significant financial commitment as he’s owed $107 million over the next five seasons. The Dodgers will presumably pay down some portion of that balance in order to help facilitate a deal, but it remains to be seen just how much is being discussed between the two sides.

Rosenthal noted on Monday that the Dodgers had expressed some serious interest in Yasmani Grandal being a part of the return. The 26 year old catcher hit .225/.327/.401 in 443 plate appearances this past season, with a career high 15 home runs. He would likely share duties with A.J. Ellis behind the plate for Los Angeles.

Matt Wisler is a right-handed pitching prospect who split the 2014 season between Double-A and Triple-A, going 10-5 with a 4.42 ERA over 146.2 IP.