On a day Matt Kemp signed the richest contract in the history of the Los Angeles Dodgers, there was a positive vibe at Dodger Stadium. Even with Frank McCourt present at the festivities, though by the end of the press conference announcing Kemp's eight-year, $160 million deal McCourt was long gone.
"I’ve watched Matt grow up and I’m proud of him," said McCourt on Friday. "If he continues to grow, there is no doubt in my mind that he is the player this franchise and this community needs. I wish him a tremendous next eight years and also beyond that. Teams need players that stay with one franchise their whole career and I’m very happy for him."
General manager Ned Colletti, who has repaired his relationship with Kemp after making some unflattering comments about his center fielder in a radio interview in April 2010, was also ecstatic for Kemp. Matt has become one of the best players in the game," said Dodger General Manager Ned Colletti. "At his age, with his talent and passion to be great, we felt Matt was worthy of a deal of this magnitude and are excited about keeping him in the Dodger family for a long time to come."
Kemp, who signed through the 2019 season, expressed a desire to finish his career in Los Angeles. "I have truly been embraced by the L.A. fans," said Kemp. "They’ve made Los Angeles home for me. It’s a great feeling to know I’m going to be here for the next eight years, but my goal is to be a Dodger for life – this is where I aim to be until I retire."
Kemp will find out on Tuesday, November 22 whether or not he won the National League MVP award.
For more on the Dodgers, head over to True Blue LA.