Matt Kemp trade to the Padres is certified FRESH!

The trade that brings in Matt Kemp, Tim Federowicz and $32M costs the Padres Joe Wieland, Zach Eflin and Yasmani Granda.  Critics agree it's fresh.  I happen to agree.  The Padres need an offensive threat and he comes to the team in the form of a sexy Matt Kemp.  The Padres will need at least one more bat now to cover Kemp but we'll let Padres GM A.J. Preller worry about that another day.

Dudes, this is trade equivalent of 22 Jump Street!

Apologies to RottenTomatoes.com

Padres Acquire Matt Kemp | FanGraphs Baseball
I’ll have a full write-up on this soon, but suffice it to say that I love this trade for the Dodgers and don’t really get it at all for the Padres. They get a big right-handed slugger, but I’m not sure they got any better, and they spent $75 million for the right to be differently bad.

@619Sports
Matt Kemp to the Padres for Grandal, Wieland and a piece. Looks like a steal for Preller in his first deal.

@sdutPosner
My barely-awake bottom line: Hate giving up Grandal but I think this team, at this time, needed to get a "name" player like Kemp.

@HeyScan
Wow, looks like A.J.P. and Pads stepping up and bringing in established impact RH power bat in Kemp. Very nice!

@PadresJagoff
The more I think on it, the more I am ok with it. Wieland was depth & Federowicz partners with Rivera. If Kemp was a FA I'd be all for 5/75

@Lobshots
There's "star power" - then there's "I've dated Rihanna star power" - Matt Kemp is HUGE for the #Padres

@SacBuntChris
Sucks to sell low on Grandal. Reminds me of Rizzo. But excitement is also kind of weird and fun.

@SacBuntDustin
The Padres basically gave up Yasmani Grandal-plus for the right to sign Matt Kemp to a near market value free agent deal.

@LeftCoastBias
I think the Padres are better today than yesterday. Which is the point of trading. And I doubt they are done.

@Jeremy_Nash
Ecstatic that the Padres picked up Matt Kemp. Bummed to see Yasmani go, though.

@WoeDoctor
My thought on the Kemp trade are that it's undeniably cool having a headline name and legit offensive threat on the roster. I'm also not sure I entirely like a deal that clears enough payroll for a division rival to comfortably reshape their roster, as LA did yesterday.

@VocalMinorityNV
Getting $30 million and not having to give up a top 7 prospect. It's an overpay, but it's not the worst, and it resembles a plan.

@ParkAtThePark
I'm going to decide to like the Kemp trade. We didn't have a Matt Kemp in our lineup before.

@PadresProspects
The Kemp trade will be a fantastic trade for the #Padres, guaranteed.

A.J. Preller delivers: Matt Kemp to Padres
In one trade, the Padres altered the perception that they aren’t spenders or won’t bring in high-priced players. They showed they want to win, they want to win now and they want to get back to the World Series.

@sdutCanepa
Preller appears to be a kid GM with patience. Cannot see the downside here, unless Kemp hikes into Petco National Park and just takes photos

@DSmithShow
I like the deal

@AndrewBurer
Landing Kemp is 1 of those instances where "it sounds too good to be true/I'll believe it when I see it." But damn, that's big time. #Padres

@jparis_sports
Wow - AJ goes big in landing Bums slugger Matt Kemp! Just a suggestion but Padres should avoid any Rihanna songs for Kemp's walk-up music.

UPDATES:

@RJsFro
My serious take: I don't like it from a baseball only perspective, however baseball is a business & I think it's a good deal for the #Padres

@SI_LeeJenkins
They gave up a PED guy who hits .228 and one okay prospect for Matt Kemp. Not sure how you do better

Dodgers new president goes buck wild at Winter Meetings | FOX Sports
The Padres, if the deal goes through, will be getting a steal – Kemp at $15 million per season for the next five years. Federowicz will replace Grandal, teaming with Rivera at a position where the Pads were strong. There is no other way to say it -- the trade will be a huge coup for new general manager A.J. Preller and the club’s ownership, one of the most inspired moves in club history.

@MartyCaswell
Anyone arguing Padres would've been better off investing in Headley is out of their damn mind. So keep same guys you stunk with?

@CoachKentera
Excited about Kemp. Padres fans should be pumped not giving up any of their frontline starters.

San Diego adds a much-needed bat - ESPN
The Padres' 2014 offense was one of the worst in big league history, and acquiring Matt Kemp is a huge boost toward fixing that weakness (although I'm not sure that any one player, even Mike Trout, could do that by himself).\

Does Matt Kemp = Vernon Wells? | FOX Sports
I can see taking a flyer on an ex-star like Kemp for a few months, or a year, if you're desperate. I can't see devoting a large percentage of your payroll to a player like Kemp in his 30s for five years. I just can't see it at all. If I'm a Dodgers fan today, I'm as happy as I've been since 1988. If I'm a Padres fan, I'm cursing the day Andrew Friedman left the Sunshine State.

@SweenDog9
"Great news. It's really nice for Bud Black to put a hitter like that in the lineup..."