/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/44364232/usa-today-8122126.0.jpg)
During Winter Meetings we all waited patiently (or not-so-patiently) for AJ Preller to make a deal with the Dodgers to bring Matt Kemp to San Diego. It finally happened, but since then we've had to wait, again, for Kemp's physical to go through for the deal to be official. Now we've learned that the arthritis in Kemp's hips is putting a hold on the trade for now as the Padres explore their options.
Most people knew that health might be an issue with Matt Kemp, so it's probably not too surprising that there was a problem with his physical. I'm not sure how many people saw this exact problem coming, however. But much like ball, hips don't lie. And one thing's for sure: Twitter's got jokes.
Matt Kemp will finally be put out to pasture and become the glue that holds the Dodgers together
— Ensign Egg Nog (@draculaslament) December 18, 2014
I put my hand upon Kemp's hip When AVG dip, SLG dip, OBP dip
— Ensign Egg Nog (@draculaslament) December 18, 2014
Matt Kemp's physical also revealed that he's fallen and he can't get up.
— Sons of Steve Garvey (@sosgsosg) December 18, 2014
Matt Kemp, Clayton Kershaw and Vin Scully have a combined three good hips and two of them are Vinny's.
— Zachary Levine (@zacharylevine) December 18, 2014
Report: Dodgers to throw in heating pad, a year's supply of food rich in omega-3 fatty acids to complete the Matt Kemp trade.
— Craig Calcaterra (@craigcalcaterra) December 18, 2014
No one will notice Matt Kemp's walker if the #Padres cover it with their Sunday camouflage pattern.
— Stacie Wheeler (@organicallyrude) December 18, 2014
Kemp puts his hand up on his hip, his ZiPS dip cuz FIP breaks hips
— Wick Terrell (@wickterrell) December 18, 2014
AND THE BEST TWEET OF THEM ALL:
Preller: "What's the problem, Dr. Cuomo?" Cuomo: "Hip, hip."
— VM David (@VocalMinoritySD) December 18, 2014
Must Reads
Joking aside, if this deal doesn't go through, it may not be the end of the world. AJ Preller may actually end up looking like even more of a genius GM than already thought. The Padres and Dodgers have until later today to work out the trade. L.A. may have to lower Matt Kemp's price for San Diego. The Padres could also squeeze the Dodgers for more cash than the previously agreed-upon $32 million to go towards Kemp's contract. Or the deal could be nixed entirely and the Dodgers would have to deal with an overabundance of outfielders (one of whom has arthritic knees and would've been just almost-traded-but-then-not) and a hole in the catcher spot.
But as Ken Rosenthal points out, this revelation about Kemp appears to point to the Padres playing dirty.
Regarding @BNightengale report about Kemp having arthritis in both hips: This situation threatens to turn very ugly if deal falls through.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 18, 2014
Information damages Kemp in public realm. Gives appearance of #Padres trying to leverage medical information. And is a violation of HIPAA.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 18, 2014
If deal falls apart, #Dodgers almost certainly would respond in strongest possible fashion.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) December 18, 2014
Soon enough we'll find out what will happen to Kemp and whether AJ Preller is just a regular genius or a dirty genius.